


The Proposal

by SinkOrFly



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-17
Updated: 2017-10-09
Packaged: 2018-12-30 21:07:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 81,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12117267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SinkOrFly/pseuds/SinkOrFly
Summary: Regina Mills is the controlling Chief Editor of a book publishing company. On the verge of being deported, and desperate to keep her high-powered job, she announces her engagement to her unsuspecting assistant, Emma Swan. The pair then have to head off to Storybrooke to convince Emma's family that their charade is real. Will their plan be successful? Will true love blossom?





	1. Who's Getting Married?

**Author's Note:**

> I've been writing this story over on FF.net for a while now, but since I've been using AO3 a lot more lately, I've decided to transfer it over. I'll post a chapter a day until we're caught up to where I'm up to. I haven't finished the story yet, but I plan to soon, so bear with.  
> This is inspired by the film The Proposal starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds (great film), but with a SQ twist.   
> Enjoy!

It was just her luck, really.

The first proper night of sleep she'd had in weeks and it was coming to an untimely end just because of a gap in the curtains. The sun shone through the sliver of space, directly onto Emma Swan's face. Even with her eyes closed, the light was blinding, penetrating her eyelids and making her squeeze her eyes shut tighter. Emma groaned and rolled over so that the sun shone onto her back and her eyes no longer felt like they were under attack.  _Much better._

But the damage was done. Emma had woken up and was capable of coherent thought.  _It's Monday, which means I have to go to work. It also means that it'll be a busy day because work will have piled up over the weekend. My boss will be in a bad mood because it's Monday and everyone hates Monday. She'll be a bigger bitch than usual._

Emma groaned again as she realised that her day was destined to be terrible. It wasn't surprising, really, seeing as she hated her job. She was the assistant of Regina Mills, one of the best book editors in the business; who also happened to be the devil dressed in practical pantsuits. She was a cruel woman, who terrorised her workers and made them fear her.

Despite Regina's best efforts, Emma wasn't _scared_  of her boss. No, she just detested her. She was bossy, arrogant and acted like she was God's gift to book publishing. Emma had worked for her for two years doing her bitch work, and had come close to quitting on more than one occasion.

So, why did she continue to put up with the Evil Queen?

Easy. Emma wanted to be promoted to editor, and Regina was the one who had the power to do that. It was Emma's dream job and she had come this far, so she wasn't going to give up now. Also, Emma had written a manuscript that she wanted to get published. Again, Regina was the one with the power to do that.

That was the only reason that Emma forced herself to sit up and open her eyes. She had to get ready for work because, if she were late, she would be signing her own death warrant. She had only been late once in the two years she had worked for Regina, and she wouldn't make that mistake again. The brunette had threatened to fire her right there on the spot, and Emma had had to beg her not to. While her pathetic begging hadn't been good for her dignity, Regina had at least agreed to give her one more chance.

But Emma didn't doubt that Regina would fire her in an instant if she were late again. So, she would get out of bed and get ready, then go to her very own hell-on-earth for the day.  _Wait, what time is it, anyway?_ Emma frowned and turned to look at the alarm clock that sat on her bedside table.

_8:06 a.m._

She squeezed her eyes shut, blinked a few times, rubbed the sleep from her eyes, then looked again. It's just, last time it had looked an awful lot like it had said...

_8:06 a.m._

_Shit._

Her stupid alarm hadn't gone off, meaning she had 24 minutes to get to work in New York rush hour.

Emma wasted no time in jumping out of bed and running into the bathroom. She decided there was no time for a shower, so she just washed her face, brushed her teeth and made sure she put on plenty of antiperspirant. She threw on her work trousers and a white shirt, picked up her bag and raced out of the apartment.

Pushing her way through the throng of New York commuters proved extremely difficult, but Emma was a woman on a mission. If she was even a minute late, Regina would want her head on a plate, and Emma didn't doubt for a second that the bitch would be the one to personally murder her. That drove Emma on, giving her the energy to worm her way through the crowds until she reached a small coffee shop on the corner.

Emma joined the back of the queue, with an agitated sigh. It was now 8:21, meaning she had nine minutes to get the office and, from the looks of the queue, she was going to be here for at least 20 minutes. She tapped her foot impatiently while the line crawled forwards and cursed her stupid alarm clock for not going off.

"Emma!"

Emma looked up and saw the barista standing at the end of the counter. In her hands, she had two to-go cups of coffee which she was holding out towards Emma. Perks of going to the same coffee shop with the same order every morning. Emma smiled and rushed to the front of the queue, throwing her money on the counter and grabbing the cups.

"Amy, you are literally a life-saver. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."

The red-headed barista laughed as Emma turned on her heels and ran out of the shop, heading across the street to the building of Queen of Hearts publishing. She ignored the car horns that sounded in her direction as she narrowly avoided being ploughed down by an oncoming cab. The sliding doors to the building were barely even open as Emma flew through them and towards the elevator.

"Hold the elevator!" Emma yelled as she watched the grey doors sliding closed.

Luckily, a hand came out just in time and stopped the doors from closing, leaving Emma to sigh in relief as she jumped into the crowded space. She smiled at the man who had stopped the doors and thanked him, ignoring the irritated glances she received from the other occupants.

Her watch said it was 8:28. She was almost there.  _Come on, come on._  She willed, watching the floor numbers going up. 24... 25... 26...

With a 'ding', the doors slid open and Emma rushed out, not seeing the woman walking past the elevator until it was too late. The pair collided, causing the coffee in Emma's hands to spill over both of them. Emma's eyes widened in horror as she looked down at her white shirt, which wasn't white anymore. Instead, it was covered in the hot, brown liquid which was rapidly seeping into the material.

_Great. The Evil Queen is going to kill me._

* * *

"People in this country are busy, broke, and hate to read. They need someone to say, 'Hey! Don't watch CSl: Indianapolis tonight. Read a book! Read Frank's book.' And that person is Oprah." Regina said into her phone as she walked calmly through the streets of New York City. This wasn't her job: trying to get the authors whose books they published to do interviews with Oprah. However, the person who she had assigned this to hadn't been able to get the job done, therefore Regina had to intervene. She would ensure the incompetent imbecile would be sufficiently punished but, for now, she had to convince Frank to go on Oprah.

"Frank, the truth is, all A-plus novelists do publicity. Roth, McCourt, Russo... and you know what else they have in common? A Pulitzer!" Regina smiled into her phone as she heard Frank reluctantly agree to do the interview. It didn't matter whether or not he _wanted_  to do the interview, all that mattered was that he was going to do it. Publicity was key in this business, and Regina made sure that the books she published sold as many copies as possible.

She put down the phone as she walked into the building of Queen of Hearts publishing. The company had been created by her mother, who had built it from the ground up. It was now one of the most prestigious publishers in the world, and Cora Mills had hired Regina as Chief Editor. It was Regina's pride and joy; her life revolved around it. That's why she spent so many hours a week working, but she wouldn't trade it for the world.

The ride in the elevator was quiet, despite the uncomfortable amount of people cramped in the small space. Regina was thankful when the doors slid open and she stepped out, her heels clicking on the hard floor as she walked. She noticed with a smile that people instantly put their heads down and got on with their work when she passed. Being feared was something that Regina enjoyed immensely, and the smirk on her face showed everyone that. It wasn't her fault that she was so strict, though. She wanted the company to be the best of the best, so she wouldn't settle for anything less than excellent from her workers. They all knew this, which is why they all feared her and gave her the nickname the 'Evil Queen'. They thought they were so clever calling her that behind her back, but she knew all about the things they said about her. It didn't matter though, as long as work got done.

Regina walked through a set of double doors which led to the room outside her office, where her assistant's desk was. Emma Swan, her assistant, was currently sitting in her desk chair, scrubbing furiously at her white shirt, which appeared to be stained with some brown liquid.

Regina cleared her throat, trying to get the blonde's attention. The way that Emma's eyes snapped up told her that she succeeded. Regina smirked and looked down, noticing two empty coffee cups in the trash. It didn't take a genius to piece together this puzzle, and Regina smirked again when she saw Emma blushing.

"Is that my coffee on your shirt?" Regina asked with a quirked eyebrow, causing Emma to blush more.

"Uh... y- yes."

It was clear Emma was worried she was about to face Regina's wrath, which just amused the brunette more. Though Regina would never admit it, she would never fire Emma. The blonde wanted to get her manuscript published, which meant she needed Regina and would jump through hoops for her. Regina knew this, and also knew that she would struggle to find another assistant willing to put up with as much as Emma did. That's why she overlooked Emma's mistakes most of the time, and why she wouldn't get rid of the blonde, no matter how disappointed she was that she wouldn't be having her morning cup of coffee.

"I'm not having you looking like that all day." Regina stated as she walked towards her office.

She walked through the door and over to some drawers that were pressed against the wall of the room. Regina was prepared for anything and everything that may arise, so she had spare clothes stashed away, just in case. She never thought she'd be giving them to her coffee-stained assistant, but at least they were coming in handy.

She pulled out a bluish-grey silk shirt and then walked back to Emma. She threw it onto the blonde's desk, choosing not to comment on the surprised look that overtook the other woman's features.

"You have a staff meeting at nine." Emma dutifully reminded her, choosing not to comment on the fact that Regina was giving her clothes to wear.

"I know." Regina nodded, walking into her office again. As she expected, Emma followed her like a well-trained dog.

"And you have a conference call at eleven."

"I remember." Regina nodded, sitting behind her desk and needlessly rearranging some sheets of paper.

"Your immigration lawyer called." Emma informed her. This got Regina's interest. "He said it's imperative..."

Regina pursed her lips and looked down. "Cancel the staff meeting. Keep the lawyer on the sheets. Oh, and get a hold of PR, have them start drafting a press release." At Emma's confused frown, Regina elaborated. "Frank's doing Oprah."

Emma knew her boss had wanted this for a while but had been having no luck, so she smiled at the news, which is how she imagined Regina would want her to react. "Nicely done."

"If I want your praise, I'll ask for it." This caused Emma's smile to falter. "Before I forget, I have some manuscripts for you to review this weekend. I'll need you here at seven until... well, you know how it works. Late nights in the office aren't exactly rare." Regina looked down at some work, expecting to hear Emma's obedient agreement. However, an uncomfortable silence ascended the room, causing Regina to frown.

She looked up at a shifty-looking Emma, her frown increasing. "Is there a problem with that, Ms. Swan?"

"It's just," Emma cleared her throat awkwardly. "I booked some days off this week. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. It's my parents' anniversary so I'm going home to see them." Regina quirked an eyebrow at the blonde. "You approved the leave." Emma added sheepishly. Regina narrowed her eyes. She remembered approving the leave, but she needed Emma in the office. "It's fine." Emma cracked. "I can just tell my parents I'll visit them some other time. I'll be here. No problem."

Regina smiled with satisfaction and looked back down. The sound of the phone on Emma's desk ringing filled the room, and Emma immediately turned and walked away. When she returned a few minutes later, Regina noticed how sad she looked. She hadn't looked that sad this morning. Was it because she was no longer going to see her parents? Regina felt slightly guilty, but tried to push away the feeling. Emma had duties at work and she could visit her parents some other time.

"Gold wants to see you upstairs now."

Regina nodded her head and put her papers into a neat pile. She hated her boss. but knew that seeing him was a necessary evil. "Go and get changed." Regina instructed as she stood up. "Come and get me in ten minutes. I don't have time for Gold today."

* * *

Mr. Gold was looking out of his window at the busy streets of New York below. He didn't even turn around when Regina came into the room, but he somehow knew it was her who entered.

"Good morning, Ms. Mills."

"Mr. Gold." Regina nodded, even though Gold wasn't looking at her.

"I heard you got Frank to do Oprah. Congratulations, dearie." He said, finally turning around and leaning against his cane.

"Thank you." Regina nodded again.

She hated the man in front of her, and always had. He reminded her of an imp, from his mannerisms to his manipulative ways. He was an older man, with a Scottish accent and a cane at his side. He always wore meticulous suits which were old-fashioned, like he'd owned them for years. Even though Regina was the executive chief editor of the company, Mr. Gold was the person that her mother assigned to be her boss when she passed away. She detested Cora for it, too.

"I'm sure you're wondering why I've asked to see you." Mr. Gold said, making his way closer to Regina.

"I assume it's not because I've got a raise." She quipped with a raised eyebrow.

He chuckled slightly, though Regina could tell it was insincere. "Do you remember when we agreed that you wouldn't go to the Frankfurt book fair because you weren't allowed to leave the country while your visa application was being processed?"

"Yes. I do." Regina swallowed thickly. She knew where this was going.

"And you went to Frankfurt anyway. Didn't you, dearie?"

"I had to. We were going to lose DeLillo."

"It seems the United States Government doesn't care who publishes Don DeLillo. I just spoke to your immigration attorney. Regina, your visa application has been denied."

So many emotions passed through Regina's mind that she didn't even have time to register them all: shock, disappointment, fear...  _anger_. That damn imp was smirking at her like the news had made his day, and it made Regina's blood boil just looking at him. He hated her just as much as she hated him, and he made damn sure she knew it. She clenched her fists and narrowed her eyes, hating Mr. Gold more and more by the minute.

"There was also some paperwork that you didn't fill out in time, dearie. Very irresponsible of you." He tsked. "You're being deported." Mr. Gold added after a moment of silence. If looks could kill, Gold would have been a dead man.

"Deported..." Regina echoed in disbelief. "No, there must be something we can do. I'm hardly even an immigrant! I'm from Canada!"

"We can reapply," Mr. Gold conceded. "But you have to leave the country for at least a year first." He smirked again, but Regina tried her hardest to ignore him.

Her mind whirred as she tried to come up with a solution. She couldn't leave the country for a year! What would happen to her business? She couldn't leave it in the hands of Mr. Gold, that just wasn't an option. Unless...

"I can manage everything from Toronto." Regina stated victoriously. "With videoconferencing, the Internet-"

"No." Mr. Gold narrowed his eyes at her. "Until this issue is resolved I'm going to turn operations over to Zelena."

"Zelena?" Regina repeated in disbelief. "My sister? Who lives in Washington."

"The one and only." Mr. Gold confirmed.

"No way." Regina shook her head vehemently.

"We need an editor in chief, dearie, and unfortunately you're not able to stay."

"But- You can't- Not-"

Regina heard a knock on the door behind her before it clicked open. She turned to see Emma sheepishly stepping into the room. "Sorry to interrupt," She said quietly, looking extremely uncomfortable.

"We're in a meeting." Mr. Gold said firmly, his frustration clear.

"I understand, but Mary from Ms. Winfrey's office called. She's on the line." Emma said to Regina. "I told her you were otherwise engaged, but she insisted she speak with you."

Regina looked at Emma properly, noticing that the blonde was wearing the silk shirt that she had let her borrow to replace the coffee-stained shirt she had been wearing this morning. It was an inappropriate time to notice, but Regina found that Emma looked a lot better in that shirt than she had anticipated. She actually looked beautiful and sexy in it. Had she always been this attractive? Regina had always known the blonde was a good-looking woman, that much was obvious, but she had never felt _this_  towards her. This was...

An idea sprung to Regina's mind and she smiled to herself while she signalled for Emma to come and stand next to her. The blonde looked slightly confused, but did as her boss told her to.

"Mr. Gold," Regina turned back to the imp, sensing Emma's presence at her side. "I understand the situation that we're in, but I think there's something you need to know."

He narrowed her eyes at her suspiciously. "And what's that, dearie?

"We're getting married."

"You're getting married?" Mr. Gold asked incredulously.

"Who's getting married?" Emma asked in confusion.

"You and I." Regina said matter-of-factly. She awkwardly took Emma's hand in her own, feeling how tense the blonde was. "We're getting married."

"We are?" Emma said, confusion dripping from the two words. After Mr. Gold gave them an incredulous look, and Regina squeezed her hand so hard that she was worried her bones were being crushed, Emma caught onto what was expected of her. "We are." She said, with more certainty this time. "Regina and I are getting married."

"Isn't Ms. Swan your secretary?" Mr. Gold asked, looking between the two women with narrowed eyes.

"Assistant." Emma corrected.

"Titles." Regina dismissed with a wave of her hand. "We didn't intend to fall in love, we just did." Regina said, looking at Emma and seeing the look of fear on the blonde's face. "All those late nights in the office." The brunette went on. "Weekend book fairs. Something happened, didn't it, dear?"

Emma's eyes widened at her cue and she instantly nodded. "Something happened." She confirmed. "It's really something..."

"Well," Mr. Gold said, still looking skeptical. "As long as you make it legal."

"Legal?" Emma repeated.

"Yes, dearie," Mr. Gold smirked in amusement. "You'll have to go to the immigration office and tell them the good news. Then... Well, you'll get married."

"Get married..." Emma repeated, turning to Regina with a look on her face that suggested the entire world had gone mad.

"Yes, honey." Regina put the hand that wasn't holding Emma's hand onto the woman's arm and tried to stroke it affectionately. Instead it just turned out to be awkward and uncomfortable for everyone involved. "Come on. Let's go to the immigration office and sort this mess out."

* * *

Emma walked into Regina's office in a state of shock. Did she just get engaged? To the Evil Queen? She was just supposed to go and get Regina out of Mr. Gold's office, so how did she end up agreeing to marry the woman she hated?

Regina was acting like nothing was out of the ordinary. She had walked out of Mr. Gold's office, let go of Emma's hand, then walked back to her office without a word. If she really expected Emma not to ask any questions, then she was sadly mistaken...

"What's happening?" Emma asked, standing by the door while Regina sat at her desk.

"I was going to get deported." Regina stated, not offering much of an explanation. Emma just narrowed her eyes at the brunette, which caused Regina to sigh. "This is for you too, Ms. Swan."

" _How_?"

"They were going to make my sister chief."

Emma frowned, not believing what she was hearing. "So, naturally I would have to marry you."

"Yes. Anyway, what's the problem? You were saving yourself for someone special?"

It was clear from Regina's mocking tone that she was joking, but Emma just looked at her incredulously. "I'd like to think so."

Regina looked at her, then shook her head and looked at her paperwork.

"This is illegal." Emma reminded her.

Regina rolled her eyes. "They're looking for terrorists, not book publishers."

Emma sighed. Did this woman not see logic? "Ms. Mills, with all due respect, I'm not going to marry you."

Regina rolled her eyes, as if she were growing tired of this conversation. "Actually, Ms. Swan, yes you are."

"And why would I do that?"

Regina stood up and started walking slowly towards the blonde. "Because you need me to be here. Trust me, Zelena would have fired you as soon as she got hired, then the past two years would have been for nothing. The coffee runs, late nights, weekends working, all the time you spent with me, for nothing. Your manuscript would never be published. And your dreams of becoming an editor? Gone." Regina stopped walking when she was right in front of the blonde. "Don't worry, after the required allotment of time, we'll get a divorce and you'll be done with me."

Regina waited for Emma to agree, but the blonde just continued to look at her in disbelief. Regina grew impatient and put her hand out for Emma to shake. "Do we have a deal?"


	2. It's A Deal

The waiting room in the immigration office was small and crowded, creating an extremely unpleasant atmosphere. At the front of the room was a customer service desk, with four workers typing away at computers and helping people with their issues. Around the edge of the room sat small chairs for people to sit in while they waited. Every single one of them was currently occupied. Apparently, a lot of people were having issues with their immigration.

Emma and Regina had been instructed to sit and wait in the small chairs until the immigration agent was ready to speak to them. That had been fifteen minutes ago, and Emma could sense Regina becoming more and more impatient with each passing second. The brunette was tapping her foot, creating a sound that quickly became obnoxious. Other people in the waiting room were casting frustrated glances at Regina for the noise that she was inflicting on them, but no one said anything.

The wait gave Emma enough time to wonder what the hell she was doing. She was about to lie to an immigration consultant by telling them that she was engaged to the woman that she hated, just so that the woman she hated could stay in the country. This was ridiculous. And stupid. And illegal.

But Emma tried to remind herself that, if she didn't help Regina, she would be fired. Then she would never become an editor and the past two years of working for the Evil Queen would have been for nothing. Not to mention the fact that her manuscript would never be published. That's how she justified her actions: by reminding herself that if she didn't lie, then her dreams would be dashed.

Even that didn't stop the nervous feeling that was fluttering in her chest. She was about to break the law for a woman she detested. The fact that that very woman was currently tapping her foot incessantly wasn't helping matters. Not only was the sound grinding on Emma, but it was also heightening her nerves. She tried to bite her tongue, but it eventually became too much and she turned to the brunette with a sigh.

"Would you cut it out?" She said exasperatedly.

Regina looked at her, first in surprise, but then in annoyance. A scowl overtook her features as she stilled her foot and glanced at her watch. She huffed out a breath when she saw the time. "We've been here for twenty minutes."

"Is that all?" Emma asked with an eye roll, earning her a glare from the brunette.

"I have a meeting at the office in an hour. What if I'm not back in time?"

"What do you want me to do about it?"

Regina turned to face Emma properly with a serious look on her face. "Ms. Swan, I suggest you drop that tone right now."

Emma let out a laugh of disbelief. "Oh, you do? Do I really need to remind you what I'm about to do for you?" She paused for a moment as Regina narrowed her eyes. "Well, I'll tell you anyway. I'm about to break the law for you. So, you know what? I'll use whatever tone I want to."

Regina opened her mouth to fight back, but a man in a suit appeared in front of them before she had the chance. He looked down at a clipboard in his hand, then looked at Regina. "Ms. Mills?"

"Yes!" Regina eagerly sat forward, obviously ready to get this show on the road. "That's me."

"Please, follow me."

The man turned and led the way, leaving Regina and Emma to follow. Even as they walked towards his office, Emma was tempted to turn and leave before she got herself into this mess. However, she propelled herself forward with the thought of what would happen if she turned around. Years of work for nothing; her dreams would be ruined; two miserable years working for Regina with nothing to make it worth it; her manuscript would not be published. Those thoughts swam around in her head until she was in the office, then the man closed the door behind her.

 _Well, it's too late to back out now._  She thought to herself, sitting in one of the two visitors chairs on the other side of the man's desk. Regina sat in the one next to her, looking at a plaque on the desk that said ' _Sidney Glass_ '.

"I'm Mr. Glass." Sidney said, sitting in his desk chair and entwining his fingers in front of him. Something about the position made Emma believe he meant business and caused the nervous feeling to return. "You must be Regina." He directed to the brunette. Regina nodded her confirmation, so Sidney turned to Emma. "And you're..." He looked at his clipboard, but Emma decided to save him the time.

"Emma. Emma Swan."

"Right." Sidney nodded. "Sorry about the wait. It's been a busy day."

"That's quite alright." Regina dismissed with a friendly smile. Emma had to hold back a laugh at the insincerity of it, seeing as the brunette had just been impatiently complaining about the long wait. "We appreciate you agreeing to see us on such short notice."

"Yes, well, you were quite adamant that I see you today, so..."

Regina awkwardly cleared her throat and, again, Emma had to fight a laugh. "That's because I need to file for a fiancée visa."

"Of course." Sidney nodded and leaned forward. "I just have one question."

 _Here we go..._ Emma thought.

"Are you both committing fraud so Regina can avoid deportation and keep her position as editor in chief at Queen of Hearts Books?"

Emma's heart began to race as she thought:  _Great, he's onto us._ She tried to swallow past the lump in her throat, which made the sound of a gulp and caused Emma to pray Sidney didn't hear it. Luckily, he didn't seem to and he continued looking back and forth between the blonde and brunette. Emma glanced nervously as Regina, seeing that the older woman had somehow managed to keep her cool.

Regina smiled, though it was clearly insincere. "That's ridiculous. Where would you get that idea?"

"I had a phone call this afternoon from your boss, Mr. Gold." Sidney said, watching the two women very closely for any signs of deceit from them. "He informed me that he had doubts about the truthfulness of your relationship.

"Mr. Gold." Regina repeated with a shake of her head. "Suffice it to say, Mr. Gold is not my biggest fan. He would say anything to try and sabotage me, though I can assure you, this relationship is very real."

Regina put her hand on Emma's leg and gave it a gentle squeeze, trying to appear affectionate. Emma eyed it warily, before slowly putting her hand on top of Regina's. The move caused Regina to glance at the blonde, surprised for a second as she reminded herself that Emma was trying to help her. She smiled gratefully at her assistant, then turned back to Sidney. "So, if that's all cleared up, you can just give us the next step and we'll be out of your hair."

Sidney smiled, though it was just as false as Regina's friendly gestures. "I wish it were that easy, Ms. Mills." He looked down at his clipboard, then leaned towards them. "Here's what's going to happen: Firstly, there'll be a scheduled interview. I'll put you each in a room, and I'll ask you every little question that a real couple would know about each other. Then, I'll dig deeper. I'll look at your phone records, I'll talk to your neighbours, I'll interview your co-workers. If your answers don't match up at every point, you will be deported indefinitely." He said to Regina, then turned to Emma. "And you, Ms. Swan, will have committed a felony punishable by a fine of $250, 000 and a stay of five years in federal prison."

Emma could actually hear her heard pounding by this point, and could only hope that the other two people in the room couldn't. She tried to swallow, but her mouth was dry, so she instead licked her lips and shifted in her seat.

"So, Emma," Sidney said with a smile that was supposed to appear friendly enough to earn her trust. "Is there anything that you want to tell me?"

Sidney's eyes were cutting through her and made her shift in her seat again. As if it couldn't get any worse, Regina turned to look at her, a stern look on her face which then molded into something akin to fear. Emma felt scared and guilty, but forced herself to look at Sidney with as much composure as she could.

"All I have to say is," Emma was pretty sure that this was the first time anyone had been hanging on her every word, but now she had two people staring at her and waiting for what she was about to say. Sidney wanted her to admit to this engagement being a ploy, Regina wanted her to say that the engagement was very much real. It was unnerving, to say the least. Emma was tempted to tell the truth and say that Sidney was right. At least that way there would be no extortionate fine or time spent in prison. But there would also be no promotion and no published manuscript.

Emma had a split second to make her decision, so she didn't have time to think it through properly. Instead, she just went with her gut. "I love this woman." She lied and squeezed Regina's hand. "And I want to marry her. We didn't intend to fall in love... it just happened."

Regina smiled at her warmly, her appreciation for what Emma was doing practically radiating from her. The brunette leaned and bumped shoulders with Emma, leaving the blonde wondering whether it was simply for Sidney's sake or whether she had actually meant this friendly gesture. Regardless, it made Emma feel a little bit more comfortable and I little bit more brave, which is why she continued speaking.

"We couldn't tell the people that we work with that we were in a relationship, because of the big promotion that I have coming up." Regina shot her a look that said 'what the hell are you doing?!' But Emma ploughed on. "I'm about to become Editor, so we both thought it would be deeply inappropriate if that happened while we were... you know."

Sidney nodded in understanding, but still looked skeptical. "So, do your parents know about this... secret love that you have going on?"

Regina was the first to answer. "Mine have both sadly passed away, so... that would be impossible."

"And what about you?" Sidney turned his attention to Emma again. "Do your parents know?"

"Well, we were going to tell them this week." Regina lied, earning a glare from Emma. "It's Emma's parents' 30th wedding anniversary, so the whole family is coming together. We thought it'd be a nice surprise."

"And where is this shin-dig taking place?" Sidney asked, looking at Regina.

"Emma's parents' house." Regina guessed. She seemed to vaguely recall Emma mentioning that she was going home to see her parents for their wedding anniversary. That is, before Regina had forced her to agree to stay and work.

"Which is where?" Sidney challenged.

"Her hometown."

"And what's the name of this town?" Sidney asked.

Regina narrowed her eyes, not appreciating being put on the spot. She regretted not asking Emma more about herself in the two years that they had worked together, but was determined not to let a stupid question stop her plan from working. "Why am I doing all the talking, honey?" Regina turned to face Emma, who looked like she wanted to roll her eyes. "Why don't you jump in?"

"Storybrooke." Emma answered.

"Yes, we're going to Storybrooke in a couple of days, where we'll tell Emma's parents about us." Regina smiled smugly. Emma wanted to kill the brunette for this. She'd rather her parents never found out about this scam, but it seemed that would be impossible. Sidney had mentioned that he would have to interview family members, which made Emma feel sick with nerves. As did the thought of introducing Regina to her parents.

"Oh. I'm not familiar with that town. Where is Storybrooke, exactly?" Sidney asked curiously.

"Maine."

" _Maine_?" Regina echoed in a shocked tone, looking at the blonde in disbelief. Spending five days in Maine had  _not_  been her plan. She noticed that Emma was looking at her like she'd just blown this whole charade, but at this point, she was too shocked to care.

"Something wrong, Ms. Mills?" Sidney asked, his smirk back on his face.

Regina looked at the man who she found she rather disliked. "No. Nothing. I'm just excited to go to... Maine."

"OK." Sidney nodded, clearly still incredulous. "How long will you be in Maine for?"

"Five days. Wednesday until Sunday." Emma answered easily.

Regina glared at the blonde, but didn't say anything.

"In that case, I'll see you for your scheduled interview on Tuesday at eleven. And remember, if your answers don't match up..."

He let the rest of his sentence hang for dramatic effect, which caused Regina to roll her eyes. She was sick of this now. Today just wasn't her day. First she was threatened with deportation, then she had to lie about being engaged to Emma, now she had to go to Maine for five days. None of this was helped by the extremely obnoxious man in front of her. So, she wasted no time in standing up and plastering a false smile onto her face.

"Thank you for your time, Mr. Glass. We'll see you on Tuesday."

* * *

"This is what's going to happen," Regina began, as soon as they were on the sidewalk outside. "We'll drive up to...  _Storybrooke_  on Wednesday and pretend to be engaged. By the way, did I mention that 'Storybrooke' is the most ridiculous name I've ever heard? I mean, it sounds like something from a fairy tale." Emma rolled her eyes and stopped walking, hating that, even in a situation as serious as this one, Regina had to say something negative. "You can drive, because long-distance driving is tiring and I'll have work to do, seeing as I'm missing five days for this stupid anniversary. And-"

Regina turned towards Emma and realised that the blonde hadn't been moving. She sighed and walked back to Emma, putting her hands on her hips and raising an eyebrow. "What are you doing?" She asked.

"We need to talk about our deal." Emma said seriously.

"Deal? You mean that promotion you just talked about." Regina scoffed and shook her head. "That's not happening, Ms. Swan."

"Yes, it is. I'm facing jail time, Regina. A criminal record changes things. And a $250,000 fine? You give me my pay check, you know I can't afford that. So, if I'm seriously going to go through with this, then I want to be promoted to editor."

Regina narrowed her eyes at Emma, looking like she wanted to bite her head off. "Fine."

"And I want you to publish my manuscript." Emma added. "Twenty thousand copies, first run."

"No way." Regina shook her head.

"Do you want me to help you, or not?"

Regina was quiet for a moment as she thought. Emma had never seen her looking so angry, but she stood her ground. "Ten thousand copies."

"Twenty thousand." Emma repeated. "You're not really in a position to negotiate here. You need me, whether you like it or not."

"Ms. Swan." Regina said firmly, her voice holding a warning.

"Goodbye, Regina." Emma said with a smile, walking past the brunette. "Have a nice trip back to Canada."

"Wait. Ms. Swan, wait!" Regina called after her, so Emma smiled to herself and turned to face the brunette.

"I'll do five days in Storybrooke and the immigration interview." Emma said. "If you promote me to editor and publish twenty thousand copies of my manuscript."

If looks could kill, Emma would have been dead right there in the middle of a New York City street. "Fine." Regina spat through gritted teeth.

Emma grinned. "We'll tell my family about our engagement how and when I want to, got it?"

"Whatever." Regina grumbled.

"Now, ask me nicely."

"'Ask you nicely' what?"

Emma smiled a smug smile, relishing in the feeling of having control over Regina. "Ask me nicely to marry you, Regina."

Emma didn't think it was possible for Regina to look even angrier, but she somehow managed to as soon as the words left Emma's mouth. Regina looked like she wanted to turn Emma to stone. The blonde had a feeling that the only reason she was still alive was because Regina needed her so that she wouldn't get deported, otherwise Emma would have probably been murdered right there and then.

"I'm not doing that." Regina stated. Emma began to turn around as if she were going to leave, which prompted Regina to grab her arm and stop her. "Ms. Swan, please don't make me do this."

"On your knee." Emma instructed.

Regina took a deep breath and glared and Emma. She glanced self-consciously at the other people on the busy street, knowing that they would all be staring at her a moment later. Finally, she slowly lowered herself onto her knees. It was a struggle due to the tight dress, but she managed it. She felt disgusted at herself as soon as her knees hit the New York pavement, but she didn't have a choice.

"Will you marry me?" Regina mumbled hurriedly, feeling the eyes of the public on her already.

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that." Emma smirked. "No mumbling, I want a proper proposal."

"Emma Swan," Regina said through gritted teeth, before forcing a smile. "My dear, sweet Emma, pretty please will you marry me?"

Emma looked down at the brunette who was on her knees in front of her and smiled to herself. She never thought she'd see the day that Regina would be on her knees begging her for  _anything_ , let alone for her to marry her. Obviously, it wasn't a real proposal. They'd get engaged, Regina would get a fiancée visa, Regina would sort out her _rea_ l visa, then they would fake a break up and be done with each other. Still, it was a situation that Emma never thought she'd be faced with, and she'd be lying if she said she wasn't enjoying it.

Of course, she wasn't too thrilled about the fact that she was committing a felony, but she loved having the upper hand at this moment.

It was only when she saw an uncharacteristic blush spread across Regina's cheeks that Emma realised that people were beginning to stare as they walked past. Emma decided that it was time to release Regina of her embarrassment for the time being.

"Alright, I'll marry you."

Regina smiled slightly and struggled to stand up, cursing her tight dress for making it more difficult than it needed to be. "I never thought I'd hear anyone say those words to me." She commented while she brushed wrinkles out of her dress.

Emma wanted to ask Regina what she meant by that, but the brunette started walking away, just expecting Emma to follow her. The blonde rolled her eyes, but did start to walk after her boss.

"What's the plan for Wednesday, Ms. Swan?" Regina asked when Emma had caught up to her.

"Well, it's a five hour drive to Storybrooke, so I'll pick you up at 8 a.m. and we'll make tracks."

"Wonderful." Regina said with an eye roll. "Is there anything that I should know before we take our trip."

Emma thought about it for a moment and then shrugged. "Not really. Bring casual clothes. You know, jeans and stuff. Storybrooke isn't a fancy town and my parents aren't fancy people. But you should probably bring a couple of dresses, too, because there'll be a party." Emma didn't even know if Regina  _owned_  a pair of jeans. In the two years that they'd been working together, Emma had only seen the brunette in pantsuits and fitted dresses. Still, she could hope that she did so that she would fit in better with the people of Storybrooke. "Also, I want you to be on your best behaviour. My parents are nice people, so don't act like-"

"The Evil Queen?" Regina finished with a raised eyebrow.

Emma seemed surprised that Regina knew about her office nickname, but ended up smiling when she realised that the brunette seemed more amused by it than anything else. "Exactly."

"OK, Ms. Swan, I promise I'll control myself."

Emma smiled and nodded. "Good. I think that's all you need to know, so I'm going to go home and pack."

Regina stopped walking and turned to face Emma with a frown. "Both of us are going to be out of the office for five days for our little vacation, and five days it quite enough. There's a lot of work that needs to be done before we leave, so you can pack on your own time. Right now, the only place that you're going is back to the office. Do you understand, Ms. Swan?"

Regina didn't even wait for Emma to confirm that she did understand, instead choosing to continue the walk to Queen of Hearts Books. Emma sighed and rolled her eyes.

Five days in Storybrooke with this woman were going to be hell.


	3. Emma's Pride And Joy

Emma drummed her fingers against the steering wheel while she waited for Regina to come out of her apartment building. She had called the brunette fifteen minutes ago to tell her that she was here and ready to go. Regina had said she would be right down. So, why was Emma still waiting for her fifteen minutes later?

She was sure it didn't take that long to grab a suitcase and come downstairs. Sure, Regina lived in the penthouse, but the elevator ride to the ground floor took one minute, tops. Emma knew this for a fact because, when Regina was sick, she had forced the blonde to bring her some work from the office, then lunch, then dinner. She had been sick for a week so, by the end of that time, Emma had come by so many times that she and the doorman were on a first-name basis. That was why Emma knew  _exactly_  how long it took to come down from Regina's apartment, and she should have been here about twelve minutes ago.

Emma wasn't a very patient person on the best of days, but when she had a five hour car ride with the woman she hated ahead of her, she just wanted to get it over with. She was tempted to call Regina again and tell her to hurry the hell up, but then the door opened and Regina stepped out.

She was wearing a tight blue dress, with a black blazer and black heels, and carrying a large handbag on one arm. Behind her, she dragged the largest suitcase that Emma had ever seen, which was Louis Vuitton, of course. She looked as classy as ever, which made Emma roll her eyes as she got out of her car.

She walked around to greet Regina, noticing a man following the brunette and dragging another suitcase. This one was slightly smaller, but still bigger than was necessary. He also had a very feminine duffel bag slung over his shoulder, which seemed to be weighing him down on one side. The man followed Regina to Emma's yellow bug, then dropped the suitcase and bag next to the trunk. He waited for Regina's nod before making his way back to the apartment building.

"Regina, I said we were going to Storybrooke for five  _days_ , not five  _months_." Emma grumbled, looking at the two huge suitcases and the duffel bag.

"Better to be on the safe side, Ms. Swan." Regina said with a smirk, then looked behind Emma at the yellow bug. Her expression instantly morphed into one of disgust as she turned back to Emma. "What the hell is this?" She asked, pointing to the car.

Emma smiled in amusement and tapped the roof of the bug twice. "My pride and joy."

"I hope you don't expect me to get into that monstrosity." Regina turned her nose up at the vehicle.

"Well, yeah. Unless you want to  _walk_  to Storybrooke." Emma shoved her hands into her pockets and looked at her car. "Besides, it's not  _that_  bad."

"It's yellow." Regina said, as if that fact alone made it the most hideous car in the world.

"I happen to like the colour yellow." Emma shrugged.

Regina looked at Emma judgmentally. "Of course you do." She sighed, then lifted up her duffel bag. "Well, shall we get moving?"

"Sure." Emma nodded and walked back to the drivers side.

"Ms. Swan." Regina called, catching the blonde's attention again. "Aren't you going to help me?" She nodded to the two suitcases and Emma sighed and rolled her eyes.

She walked back to the trunk and opened it, revealing the single duffel bag that she had stuffed her belongings into. "You packed... lightly." Regina said with a frown as she put her bag next to Emma's.

"No, I packed accordingly. As I said, we're only going for five days."

Emma grabbed the first suitcase and tried to lift it up. She ended up dropping it back down again when she realised how heavy it was. "Jesus Christ, Regina. Did you pack everything but the kitchen sink?"

"Put your back into it, dear." Regina teased, then walked to the passenger side and got into the car.

Emma looked at the closed door in disbelief. "It's fine. I'll load the car." She mumbled sarcastically, aware that Regina wouldn't hear her.

How she was going to survive five days with that woman, she didn't know.

* * *

It took Emma longer than she would care to admit to get Regina's suitcases into the car. Not only were they ridiculously heavy, but they were also so big that they wouldn't both fit into the trunk. So, she had had to do some shifting, and eventually had managed to fit everything into the car, with one suitcase and one bag in the trunk, and the other suitcase and bag on the back seat.

As soon as they set off, Regina had pulled a manuscript out of her bag and began reading through it. Emma was thankful for this, as it meant that she got some peace and quiet to relax and think about how excited she was to see her family. As long as the brunette was occupied, then she wouldn't be bothering her, and she could actually enjoy the drive. However, she should have known that the quiet wouldn't last.

"Are you _trying_  to hit every single pothole you come across?" Regina snapped as a bump in the road caused her to accidentally draw a line right across her page.

"It isn't my fault, Regina. There are potholes. If you want to blame somebody, then blame the government for not filling them with cement."

"You could at least _try_  to avoid them."

"And you could at least  _try_  to not complain for two minutes." Emma quipped. She felt, rather than saw, the glare that she received from Regina at the comment, but the brunette shut her mouth and turned her attention back to her manuscript.

Emma let out a sigh of relief and glanced at the clock. They had been on the road for an hour, which meant they had four left. The thought made Emma's shoulders drop, but she reminded herself that the first hour had passed relatively quickly, so maybe the next four would too. And, on the bright side, Regina wasn't being too obnoxious at the minute. The constant sighing and grumbling every time they hit a pothole or someone sounded their car horn was annoying, but Emma could deal with that.

Speaking of potholes, Emma saw a particularly large one up ahead and smiled to herself wickedly. She moved her car to the side so that she would go right into it, and waited for Regina's annoyance.

After a few moments, they hit the hole in the road and the car jolted. Even Emma had to admit that that was a big one, but it was worth it was she saw Regina's pen slip again and draw another line across her page. The brunette huffed and slammed the manuscript shut, shoving it aggressively into her bag in exasperation.

"It looks like I won't be getting any work done on this journey." Regina said, trying to sound unaffected, but Emma could hear her frustration. Regina glanced at the clock and then sighed. "And four hours left to go. Wonderful."

Emma glanced at the brunette and felt slightly guilty about annoying her. Only slightly. She was more disappointed in herself for stooping down to Regina's level of annoying people just for the hell of it, but she tried to push the feeling away. She wouldn't let the Evil Queen make her feel bad. When Regina straightened out her blazer, Emma was reminded of how fancy Regina's outfit was and shook her head.

"I thought I told you to bring jeans and casual stuff? My parents aren't posh or anything, you don't need to dress up."

Regina glanced at her and then looked out of the window without interest. "I  _have_  brought jeans. They're in my suitcase. But I wanted to wear what I'm comfortable in, which is-"

"Tight dresses and sky-high heels? A.K.A. the _least_  comfortable clothes possible?" Emma asked incredulously.

"Ms. Swan, I haven't questioned your choice to wear that hideous leather jacket, so I would appreciate if you didn't question my choice of clothes either."

Emma looked down at the red leather jacket that she was wearing and frowned. This was her favourite. "I love this jacket." She said quietly.

Regina looked at her, looked at her outfit, and then wrinkled her nose slightly. "Of course you do." She said under her breath, as if this day couldn't get any worse.

Emma shook her head in disbelief and clenched her jaw. This woman was unbelievable. First judging her for her choice of car, now her choice in leather jackets. Why would she even care what Regina thought of her anyway? Well, she didn't. Regina was pretentious and stuck-up and Emma couldn't wait to be done with her.

"Would you reach onto the back seat?" Emma asked, changing the subject. "There's a binder on there."

Regina looked over her shoulder and saw the ring binder that Emma was talking about. She reached over and picked it up, then opened it and flicked through the first few pages. "What is this?"

"It's the questions that the INS is going to ask us." Emma said, referring to their scheduled interview that they had coming up, where they would have to know everything about each other. "I've sorted them into categories. There are questions about our relationship, like how we met, that we'll have to come up with answers to at some point. But there's also questions about ourselves, like birthdays and stuff. The good news: I know all the answers to the questions about you. The bad news: you don't know anything about me."

Regina scanned through the pages of the ring binder. There were a  _lot_  of questions in there that they would need answers to, and Regina began to worry that they wouldn't be able to do it. "You know all the answers to these questions about me?" Regina asked incredulously. There was no way that was right.

"Uh huh." Emma confirmed.

"I highly doubt that."

"Oh yeah? Try me."

"OK." Regina scanned the page, trying to find a good question. "Here. What am I allergic to?"

"Pine nuts." Emma replied immediately. "And the full spectrum of human emotion."

Regina forced out a dry laugh and looked at the questions again. "What's my favourite colour?"

"Purple."

Regina nodded her head. "Well, I know your answer too. Yellow."

Emma glanced at her and smiled. "See, we've only spent an hour together and you're already learning about me. We'll ace this."

Regina smiled slightly at Emma's optimism and turned back to the binder. "Do I have any scars or tattoos?"

"Well, there's obviously the scar on the right side of your upper lip," Emma said, causing Regina to bring a hand up to it self-consciously. Should she be concerned that Emma had it memorised? She hadn't even needed to glance to check what side it was on, she had just known immediately. Regina felt guilty about the fact that she didn't have a clue if Emma had any scars or tattoos. "But I doubt you have any tattoos. You're too boring."

"I'm not boring." Regina said defensively.

"Do you have any other scars that I should know about?" Emma asked, ignoring Regina's argument.

"I have a scar on my thigh." Regina mumbled, turning the page to look through the other questions.

"How did you get it?"

"Does it matter?"

"Well, yeah. I might get asked."

Regina sighed, as if this whole getting-to-know-each-other was a chore. "I burnt myself with a hot glue gun when I was a child."

Emma glanced at her with amusement. "A hot glue gun? How'd you manage that?"

Regina sighed again in an overly-dramatic way, but reluctantly answered the question. "When I was younger, I wanted to be a queen. Well, every queen has their castle, so I was making a castle out of popsicle sticks, using a hot glue gun because I took my castle-construction  _very_  seriously. A blob of glue fell onto my leg and burnt me, then when I pulled it off, it took my skin with it."

Emma laughed and shook her head, finding it hard to picture a child-version of Regina making a castle out of popsicle sticks. One thing that she  _didn't_  find hard to believe was that Regina had wanted to be a queen. She probably still did. In a way, she had succeeded, seeing as she had the nickname 'the Evil Queen'. "I can't even picture you as a child making popsicle stick castles." Emma admitted.

"Did you think I was born an adult?" Regina asked with a quirked eyebrow.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Obviously not, I just... I don't know. I guess I've never really thought about your childhood."

"Well, I had one. Just like everyone else."

Emma nodded, trying to think of what her domineering boss looked like when she was younger. Regina was undoubtedly an attractive woman, so she must have been a cute child. She was probably well-behaved and polite, that's how Emma imagined her. For some reason, she wished she could see it."Do you have any pictures?"

"Of what? My popsicle stick castle?"

Emma chuckled and shook her head. "No. Of you as a child."

Regina looked at Emma, surprised by the question. "Maybe in my apartment somewhere. Why?"

"Because I'd like to see one some time."

Regina swallowed, trying to remember the last time anyone had wanted to know about her childhood. Or the last time anyone had wanted to know  _anything_  about her. Her life revolved around her work, which didn't leave much time for friends or dating, so the only people she really spoke to were from work. It wasn't exactly a secret that her colleagues weren't that fond of her, and she suspected that even Emma hated her, which made it strange that the blonde would want to see pictures of her  _at all_ , never mind her childhood.

Regina didn't know why Emma would say she wanted to see pictures of her as a child. She didn't know what the blonde's intentions were, so she didn't know how to respond. So, she decided to just ignore it.

"Uh... Well," She cleared her throat and closed the binder. "I don't know the answers to any of these questions." Regina admitted, tapping the binder. "So, why don't you tell me some things about yourself. Like, do  _you_  have any tattoos or scars?"

"I have some tiny scars," Emma informed her with a shrug. "But I don't even remember how I got most of them. I was an adventurous kid, I fell down a lot so they're probably just scrapes from falling out of trees and stuff. As for tattoos, I have a flower on my wrist."

"A flower? Original." Regina scoffed, trying to seem disinterested while she sneaked a glance to see if she could see the tattoo in question. The wrist was a place where the tattoo would be visible, but Regina had never noticed it before. She had never really noticed much about Emma before, and now she felt guilty about it.

"It was part of my rebellious phase." Emma explained with a shrug. "I wasn't interested in getting anything meaningful, I just wanted a tattoo."

Regina just lifted an eyebrow and looked away, slightly annoyed that she couldn't see the tattoo at the moment. "Is there anything else I should know about you?"

"Um..." Emma thought for a moment before answering. "My birthday is October 22nd; I'm 28 years old; I was born and raised in Storybrooke, but I moved to New York when I was 21; I was a bail bondsperson until I decided that I wanted to be a writer, so I quit and started working for you; my favourite band is Nirvana; my favourite movie is The Avengers... Oh! And I love grilled cheese."

Regina nodded along, trying to commit every fact to memory, but having a hard time when they were just being fired at her like this. She knew that she still had a lot to learn, but at least they were making a start. It made her feel bad that Emma knew all the answers to the questions about her, but she knew so little about Emma. She hated the feeling, and tried to tamp it down, but it was there nonetheless.

On the road up ahead, a long queue of cars just waited for Emma and Regina to join, causing Emma to sigh as she slowed down the car.

"What's the hold up?" She asked, trying to see why the cars in front of them were no longer moving.

"I'll check."

Regina got out her phone and connected to the internet, then looked for any road problems that could be causing the traffic jam. "There's been an accident a mile ahead." She said eventually, scanning through the news page. "There'll be delays until it's cleared up."

"Great." Emma mumbled, hitting the top of the steering wheel with her hand. "I guess that means our trip will take a little while longer."

* * *

Twenty minutes later, and Emma and Regina had barely moved a metre. They were crawling forward at an excruciatingly slow pace, with no sign of the traffic jam moving any time soon. Regina had learnt that Emma could be quite impatient, if the constant huffing and puffing was anything to go by.

But Regina ignored the blonde and looked at some of the questions in the ring binder. They would need to go through them all at some point, which was something that she was  _not_  looking forward to. It reminded her of studying for some test at school, which was something that she never wished to do again. Yes, she had been a good student and had always gotten straight As, but that didn't mean she liked revising.

Eventually, she got to a page with questions about their relationship and began to look through them. It included things like when and where they met, their first date, what they had in common, why they agreed to go out again. Regina sighed internally when she realised that they were going to need to plan a whole fake relationship meticulously.

"If we don't move soon then it might take us six hours to get to Storybrooke." Emma grumbled.

"Well, if we're stuck in traffic then why don't we use our time wisely?" Regina suggested. "We could come up with answers to some of these questions."

Emma sighed loudly, causing Regina to roll her eyes. It's not like she wanted to do this either, but at least she wasn't sighing about it. "Fine." Emma said, like a teenager being forced to do their chores. "What's the first question?"

"When and where did we meet?" Regina asked.

"Easy. When I started working for you. The first time we met was in the interview, when I came to your office, remember?"

Regina nodded her head. The blonde woman dressed in work trousers and a shirt had been the most professional of everyone she had interviewed. Also the most attractive, but that didn't play any role in Regina hiring her. Regina didn't date, so never bothered to look at Emma like that.

"Did we make arrangements to meet again?" Regina read from the page.

"Uh... yeah." Emma said in a ' _duh'_  voice. "You hired me. We agreed to meet the following Monday, when I would start working for you."

Regina nodded her agreement, then moved on to the next question. "When was our first kiss and how did it occur?"

"Huh." Emma thought for a moment. "I guess this is where we need to deviate from the truth."

"Indeed." Regina agreed. Seeing as they had never actually had a first kiss, it seemed that they could hardly tell the truth in this question.

"Well, it's gotta be realistic." Emma began, thinking out loud. "So, I'd say our first kiss happened at work, because we never saw each other outside of work. We were working late and everybody else had gone home, so it was just the two of us. It was dark out, and we were in your office. The lights from the city were shining through your window, and all we could see were skyscrapers and New York traffic below. We had the lamp on in the corner, and the one on your desk, so the room was only dimly lit. You know, that romantic lighting. We ordered some food - Italian. That's your favourite - and were eating it at your desk."

Regina looked at Emma, surprised by the amount of detail that the blonde was going into and intrigued to find out where this was going. "So, we were talking while we were eating. Just about mundane stuff, like small talk. But then I accidentally let it slip how beautiful you looked. You were wearing that red dress, by the way. The tight one with the collar and the oval-shaped hole at the top, you know which one I mean?"

Regina looked at Emma with a small frown. Did she really think she looked beautiful in that red dress? Or was she just saying that for the sake of the story? "I know which one you mean."

"Good. So anyway, I accidentally told you that you were beautiful. Like, the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. And then you said..."

"You think I'm beautiful?"

"Yeah, that sounds realistic." Emma said, causing Regina to frown. She had actually been asking Emma, not just suggesting the next line of their little play. But she kept her mouth shut while Emma carried on with the story. "And then, knowing me I would realise that I shouldn't have said that. You were my boss and it was unprofessional, so I probably would have tried to backtrack and convince you that I didn't mean it. Of course, this would have resulted in me rambling like an idiot in front of you."

Regina smiled to herself, finding it way too easy to imagine these events unfolding. She could practically see Emma rambling to try and dig herself out of the hole she'd put herself in, despite the fact that this story was completely fictional. "And then I would have smiled." Regina decided, looking back at Emma. "Because it's cute when you're nervous." Regina swallowed, a little embarrassed about saying that.

Emma looked at her in surprise, clearly wondering the same thing that Regina had wondered when the blonde had made the comment about her being beautiful: whether this was for the sake of the story, or whether it was true. Regina didn't want Emma to know the answer, so she looked back ahead as soon as they made eye contact.

"And that's when I kissed you." Regina finished. "To shut you up, and because I liked you. There'd been chemistry between us for months, but we'd both ignored it for the sake of professionalism. That night, we decided that we couldn't anymore."

"Y-yeah." Emma nodded her agreement. "So, we kissed. Then, one thing led to another and-"

"Let me stop you right there, Ms. Swan." Regina said, holding up her hand to stop Emma. "Nothing led to anywhere. We kissed. Period. I have more class than to sleep with someone before even going on a first date."

Emma frowned and scoffed. "I wasn't going to suggest that we slept together."

"Oh, really?" Regina asked incredulously, raising her eyebrow in amusement.

"No. I'll have you know, I have class too. I was simply going to suggest a little second base action."

It was Regina's turn to scoff now as she shook her head. "No way. We didn't grope each other like teenagers, we just kissed. A soft, sweet, romantic kiss."

Emma looked at her with a smile. "I didn't have you pegged for such a romantic."

"I'm not-"

"See. Under that frosty Evil Queen exterior, there is a heart after all." Emma said cheekily, before winking at Regina.

The brunette rolled her eyes and looked away, just in time to see the traffic ahead start to move. "Will you shut up and put your foot down?" Regina said, with no hostility in her voice for once. "I'd like to get to Maine some time today."


	4. Welcome to Storybrooke

By the second hour of their trip, they needed to stop for gas. So, Emma pulled into the next service station they saw and stopped the car.

"Will you do me a favour?" Emma said as she unbuckled her seat belt. "Can you fill the car up with gas while I go and buy some snacks?"

Regina rolled her eyes, which didn't surprise Emma, but did as she was told without a verbal argument, which  _did_  surprise Emma. If she knew one thing about her boss, it was that rarely did favours for people, unless it benefited her in some way. Filling up Emma's car with gas, while it would help them get to Storybrooke quicker, didn't explicitly put Regina in an advantageous position, therefore it was strange that she would do it without grumbling. But Emma decided not to comment on it. She had been told that she should never look a gift horse in the mouth, so she would just consider herself lucky that Regina was being tolerable and not question the other woman's motives.

Emma walked past Regina, giving her a small smile, then went into the store and picked up a basket. She walked down the aisles, pausing numerous times to try and decide what to buy. She got a couple of sandwiches; some crisps (she decided on Pringles, after much deliberation); spent a few minutes trying to decide whether to buy KitKats or Twixs, before deciding on both; an apple (because Regina would kill her if she didn't buy at least one healthy snack, and the brunette  _loved_  apples); a couple of nutri-grain bars and a couple of bottles of water. On her way to the checkout, she saw a Slurpee machine and grinned to herself.  _A slushy, sugary, carbonated, frozen drink? Yes, please._

She put the basket on the floor and picked up a large cup. She spent a few minutes looking at the flavours, even though there were only three, then settled for blue raspberry. Even at 28 years old, she still found some childish satisfaction from the blue stain it left on her tongue, teeth and lips. When she had filled her cup to the brim, she put a lid on it, took a straw, picked up her basket and went to the checkout.

The cashier was a teenage boy, who looked like he'd rather be literally anywhere else other than serving customers. When Emma put her basket in front of him, he looked at her with a bored expression and started to scan her items. "I'll try to be quick. Your friend's getting antsy." He nodded outside, causing Emma to frown and turn in that direction.

Regina was leaning against her car, impatiently tapping her foot and checking her watch every ten seconds. Emma shook her head and turned back to the cashier. "You take your time. She can wait."

The boy smiled slightly at Emma's comment and let out a puff of breath through his nose that Emma assumed was supposed to be a laugh. He finished up scanning her items, putting them into a brown bag after he'd scanned them, then rang up the total. Emma put a wad of bills onto the counter and told him to keep the change, then made her way back to her car.

"Oh, you're back." Regina said, faking enthusiasm. "And I'm officially one hundred years old."

Emma rolled her eyes at the comment. "I wasn't _that_  long."

"Twenty minutes." Regina stated, causing Emma to raise her eyebrows. She was longer than she'd thought she had been.

"Well, I've got some snacks for us so we can refuel." Emma shrugged. "So, shall we get going?"

Regina nodded and made her way to the passengers side, but Emma stopped her before she could get in. "Actually, do you think that you could drive for a while?"

Regina looked at her like she was crazy. "Are you joking?"

Emma frowned. "I've been driving for over two hours, and I'm tired and bored. Don't you think it's time that  _you_  took over?" Emma waited for Regina to agree, but the brunette just stared at her stubbornly. "What's wrong? Can you not drive a stick?"

"I can drive a stick." Regina said, with narrowed eyes.

"Then you can drive for a while. Besides, I have a Slurpee to drink, which I can't do if I'm driving. I don't want it to melt."

Regina looked at the drink that Emma was holding and frowned. "Is that a good idea?" She asked, pointing at the cup. "We're not stopping for bathroom breaks."

Emma laughed slightly. "Regina, I'm a grown woman. I think I can control my bladder."

Regina didn't look convinced, but didn't argue it further. She turned back to the passenger's door and opened it, causing Emma to frown. "Regina, it's your turn to drive."

"Ms. Swan-"

"Do I really need to remind you why we're on this trip in the first place? It's to stop  _you_  from getting deported. So, unless you want to be on the first plane back to Canada, I suggest you get in the drivers seat."

Regina looked like she wanted to burn Emma alive by the time the blonde had finished her sentence. With a clenched jaw, the brunette stormed around the car to the drivers side and got in, slamming the door behind her. Emma smiled to herself and got into the passenger side, then opened her bag of food.

"Do you want a snack now, or do you want to wait?" She asked, rifling through the contents to find a Twix for herself.

"I'll wait." Regina said, putting the keys into the ignition. "And, Ms. Swan?" Emma looked at Regina and lifted an eyebrow. "If you _ever_  blackmail me again, you _will_  regret it. Understand?"

Emma didn't know if it was the cold look in Regina's eyes, or the hostile way that she had delivered her threat, but Emma agreed that she  _would_  regret it, so she swallowed and nodded her head obediently. Regina smiled, though it was anything but friendly, then turned the keys, causing the car to rumble, trying to flip the engine, then it stopped altogether as silence enveloped them. Regina frowned and looked at Emma while she tried again, though it reached the same result.

"You have to kind of push on the keys and lift them up slightly." Emma explained as she put the bag of food on the floor with a Twix in hand.

Regina scowled and did as she was told, this time reaching the desired outcome when the car started properly. "I doubt we'll make it out of this metal coffin alive." She grumbled, before easing off the clutch and pressing on the accelerator.

* * *

About half an hour after Regina had taken over driving, and Emma was flicking through the binder of questions for the scheduled interview while she happily sipped her Slurpee. Regina hadn't had the smoothest of starts. She stalled whilst pulling out of the service station, almost crashed into the car in front of her when she didn't press on the brake hard enough, and then almost sent Emma flying when she pressed on the brake _too_  hard.

Now it seemed that Regina was used to driving the bug, but she was still being quiet while she concentrated. Emma didn't mind though. It gave her some time to think about what she needed to tell Regina before they reached Storybrooke.

There was one thing at the forefront of her mind that she needed to tell the other woman, but she didn't know how to tell her. She didn't know how to slot it into conversation, especially now that everything was so quiet. What she needed to say would make her vulnerable, which she didn't want to be in front of Regina. She hated feeling weak, especially around people like her boss who thrived off power. But, Regina needed to know, otherwise it would be clear that this whole thing was a sham.

Instead of trying to think of a good way to begin telling Regina, Emma decided it would be better to just get it over with, so she just said the news as bluntly as possible.

"I'm adopted."

Regina swerved the car slightly, making Emma grab the armrest on the door and almost choke on her Slurpee. She didn't know whether Regina had swerved because Emma had broken her concentration, or because she was shocked by the news, but Emma just kept quiet and waited for Regina to say something.

"You're adopted?" Was all Regina said, the surprise evident in her tone.

"Yep." Emma popped the 'P' and put the Slurpee straw in her mouth again.

"What- you-" Regina stuttered and glanced at Emma with a frown. "Are you going to explain, or is that all?"

Emma sighed and put her cup down. She didn't think this news needed to be a big deal, but she knew that, if Regina was really her fiancee, then she would know the story. So, to make the relationship seem real, she would have to tell Regina the tale and hope she wouldn't made a huge deal out of it.

"When I was a baby, I was abandoned by my birth parents. They left me on the side of a road in Maine."

"Oh my God." Regina said quietly, causing Emma to close her eyes. She hated it when people found out about this story because they usually started to pity her, which she didn't need.

"I was wrapped in a blanket with the name 'Emma' embroidered in it, hence I'm called Emma. But they never found my birth parents, so I ended up in the foster system. I wasn't there for long, though. I got adopted after a few weeks by this really nice couple called Nick and Lucy Swan; hence my surname."

"I thought your parents were called Mary... something and David?" Regina said.

"Yeah, they are. Mary Margaret and David Nolan. Nick and Lucy kept me until I was three years old, then they got pregnant with a kid of their own. They sent me back."

"That's terrible."

Emma shrugged. "It is what it is. I got put in this foster home with some awful parents. I don't really remember much about them, but I remember that they scared the crap out of me. There were other children there, too. But one boy, August, he looked after me while I was there, and we became inseparable. I was in that home for a few months, then I met Mary Margaret and David Nolan, and they fell in love with me. The feeling was mutual, so they wanted to adopt me, but I wouldn't go anywhere without August. So, they adopted both of us." Emma was quiet for a moment, letting Regina absorb the information.

"So, my parents aren't my biological parents." Emma said, concluding her story. "And, even though August is my brother, he isn't my biological brother. That's why we all have different last names. Mary Margaret and David _Nolan_ , August  _Booth_ , and Emma  _Swan_. One big, happy, unrelated family."

Regina looked at Emma in wonder for a moment, then looked back at the road. "I can't believe that. You've been through so much."

Emma just shrugged casually. "I was a kid. I don't remember most of it. All I really remember from my childhood is being with Mary Margaret and David, and I was happy with them. My childhood got a crappy start, but an awesome finish, so it's all good."

Regina nodded in understanding. "I just can't believe that I've known you for two years and I didn't know that you were adopted."

"It was kinda hard for me tell you when we were in the middle of talking about you for the past two years." Emma remarked, proud of the dig. In reality, the fact that she was adopted wasn't something that she told  _anybody,_  let alone her evil boss. Mary Margaret and David were her parents, as far as she was concerned, and August was her brother.

Regina didn't see the funny side of Emma's comment through, and she glared at the blonde. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you feel the need to slight me just then? I've been nothing but nice to you on this trip."

Emma looked at the other woman in shock. How could she act like what Emma had just said was unreasonable after two years of making her life a living hell? "You've treated me, and everyone else who works for you,  _horribly_  for years now. You think that two hours of you being civil to me wipes all that away? It doesn't. I can get in my jabs if I want to."

"If you don't like being bossed around, Ms. Swan, then I think getting a job as someone's assistant was a bad career move." Regina informed her.

"It wasn't the bossing around that I minded. It was the constant abuse."

Regina shot her a look that said ' _Really_?' "I never  _abused_  you, dear." She argued, shaking her head at the ridiculousness of it.

"Actually, you kinda did. Verbally, at least. How many times have you called me incompetent? An idiot? A fool? A moron? Inept? And countless other names. I, personally, have lost count."

"I didn't mean that personally." Regina dismissed Emma's accusations.

"Well, it's kinda hard not to take it personally when it's every single day for two years."

Regina rolled her eyes. "If you were so upset then you would have said something. Or quit."

Emma looked at the other woman and then out of the window. Regina had a point. Even though Emma had considered quitting on more than one occasion, she never actually had, because the things that Regina said didn't actually hurt her. The brunette treated everyone like that, and the names weren't personal because Regina didn't really _know_  Emma. How could Emma take the insults personally when they were coming from someone who didn't know her personally?

All she was trying to do right now was make Regina feel guilty, to see if the brunette would apologise to her for the two years of misery she had caused. Apparently, she wouldn't.

"Exactly, that's what I thought." Regina said, when Emma didn't reply to her.

It caused Emma to roll her eyes and shake her head. "You know, an apology would still be nice."

"An apology for what?" Regina asked, clearly appalled at the suggestion.

"For being a bitch for two years?"

Regina sighed and gripped the steering wheel tighter. "I'm so sorry if I hurt your precious feelings, Ms. Swan." She said, without an ounce of sincerity. "I didn't realise you had such a sensitive soul."

Emma scoffed and folded her arms across her chest. "Are you happy now?" Regina asked her, with a glance in her direction.

"I would be if it weren't such a sarcastic apology."

Regina just shook her head. "Well, that's the best you're going to get."

"Whatever." Emma said with another eye roll.

She was more than ready for this trip to be over.

* * *

Three and a half hours into their trip, Emma's leg was bouncing a mile a minute as she drummed her fingers on the arm rest.

"Will you please drive quicker?" She said, squeezing her legs together as the need to use the bathroom became unbearable.

"I'm already going the speed limit." Regina said as calmly as possible.

"I don't care, I really gotta go!" Emma bounced up and down on the seat, shooting daggers at the empty Slurpee cup that was in the cup holder.  _This is all your fault._

"Do you  _want_  to get arrested?" Regina asked through gritted teeth. "Because there aren't any toilets in police cars."

Emma sighed and rubbed her face. "Just hurry up, please." She whined, scared that her bladder would burst any minute.  _Nothing_  would be more humiliating than wetting herself in front of Regina Mills.

Regina chuckled to herself, causing Emma to look at her questioningly. The brunette put on her best Emma impersonation as she said, " _Regina, I'm a grown woman. I think I can control my bladder_."

Emma glared at her. "Shut up."

"I told you we weren't stopping for any toilet breaks." Regina reminded her with a smirk.

"Do you want me to pee myself?" Emma asked, genuinely worried that she would any minute.

"I suppose it would teach you a lesson if you did." Regina considered with a shrug.

Emma narrowed her eyes and looked straight ahead, relieved to see a sign for the next service station. "Oh, thank God." She breathed, the pressure on her bladder becoming almost painful.

"Now, do I stop, or keep driving?" Regina pretended to muse, laughing when Emma looked at her like she was the devil.

"Don't even think about it, Regina." Emma warned.

"I'm going to be very generous." Regina said with a smile as she indicated that she was turning into the service station car park. "But only because we've still got two hours to go and I don't want to sit in a car that smells of your urine."

Emma looked at the sky as if she was thanking God as Regina turned the car into the car park and stopped the engine. Before Regina could even look at Emma, the blonde was out of the car and running towards the restroom. The brunette smiled to herself and shook her head, before getting out of the car for some fresh air.

She couldn't stop thinking about Emma, and how child-like she had seemed in the car, but how cute Regina had found it. The blonde had been bouncing up and down like a kid when she needed the bathroom, and moaning like you would expect a seven-year-old to. The fact that Emma still had a bluish tint to her tongue and lips from her Slurpee meant that she _looked_  the part as well as acted the part.

Regina couldn't help but let out a little laugh at the thought, even though she was standing alone in a car park.

It wasn't long before Emma emerged from the bathroom, walking at a regular pace now instead of running. Regina smirked and walked to the passenger side of the car. "Seeing as I was kind enough to stop so that you could use the bathroom, you can drive the rest of the way."

Emma glared at her but got in the drivers seat anyway. As she was starting the car, Regina let out another little laugh. "I didn't think you were going to make it." She admitted with a shake of her head.

Emma looked at her with a smile. "Honestly? Neither did I."

Regina laughed again as the car started to move and they made their way back to the road.

* * *

Four and a half hours into their trip, and Emma had the radio on and was singing along passionately.

" _Cause we made a promise we swore we'd always remember. No retreat, baby, no surrender,_ " Emma sang, as she drummed on the steering wheel.  _"Blood brothers in the stormy night with a vow to defend. No retreat, baby, no surrender._ " Emma sang the last line even louder, for her dramatic finish. " _No retreat, baby, no surrender._ "

As the song faded out, Regina let out a sigh of relief, happy that her torture was ending. "Thank God that's over." She said under her breath, but it was loud enough for Emma to hear.

"Hey, that's a good song!" Emma said with a frown.

"If you say so." Was Regina's reply. "Don't you have any CDs?" She asked, tired of the radio playing classic rock, which Emma seemed to love and loudly sing along to.

"In the compartment." Emma nodded to the compartment in front of Regina.

Regina opened it and pushed away all the miscellaneous items that filled the small area. There were random sheets of paper and chocolate wrappers in her way, which she pushed to the side so she could see what else was in there. Usually, she would turn her nose up at this kind of mess, but she didn't expect anything less from Emma. Finally, she found a little black box that she assumed was filled with CD disks. When she opened it, it proved that she assumed correctly, and she began to look through the various CDs for one that she could stand to listen to.

She pushed aside numerous Nirvana disks and remembered Emma saying that it was her favourite band.  _No kidding_ , Regina thought. However, grunge wasn't really her thing, so she kept looking.

Mostly, the box was filled with classic rock albums, which didn't surprise Regina, with a few pop albums thrown in there too. After a while, Regina glimpsed a name that she did  _not_  expect to see in Emma's album collection, and she pulled it out with an amused look.

"Taylor Swift? Really?" She said, holding the CD up for Emma to see.

The blonde looked embarrassed and shrugged. "I was going through a break up." She justified quietly.

"You could have at least picked Adele." Regina reminded her, putting the country album away with no intention of listening to it.

"She's in there too somewhere." Emma informed her, glancing into the box to see if she could spot it.

No sooner had Emma said that did Regina see Adele's album '21'. She pulled it out with a smile, relieved to find an album that she could actually tolerate listening to. She put it in the CD slot and pressed play, happy to hear the opening notes to Rolling In The Deep.

" _There's a fire starting in my heart_ ," Emma began to sing, causing Regina to close her eyes and release a breath.

It really grated on her when people sang along to every word of songs, and she had learnt that Emma was one of those people. She forced herself to bite her tongue, knowing that, if she complained, then Emma would start singing louder just to annoy her.

 _Just one more hour..._  Regina thought to herself, hoping that it would pass quickly, before she completely lost the will to live.

* * *

"So, here's the plan." Emma began as they passed the ' _Welcome to Storybrooke_ ' sign. "We'll go to my parents' cabin, which is where they are staying for their anniversary, and say 'hi' to everyone. Then, we'll go get checked into Granny's B&B, which is where  _we'll_  be staying for the next few days. We'll spend some time apart, you know, so we both remain sane, then go have dinner with my parents."

"Sounds like a plan." Regina said with a nod, feeling nervous butterflies take flight in her stomach.

They were almost there. She was about to meet Emma's parents. If they didn't believe this charade, then she could end up being sent back to Canada, where she would lose her job and everything about the life she loved. That couldn't happen. They  _needed_  to convince Emma's family that this relationship was real, and she was determined for this plan to go without a hitch.

How hard could it be? All they had to do was pretend to be a couple, and what did that entail? Sitting next to each other a lot and holding hands occasionally? That was easy. And a small price to pay to avoid deportation, in Regina's opinion.

"Are you OK?" Emma asked, bringing Regina out of her thoughts. "You seem... nervous."

Regina glanced at Emma, wondering what had given her away. "I'm fine. And I _am_  nervous. Do I need to remind you what's at stake here, Ms. Swan?"

Emma sighed and put one hand on Regina's leg, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Regina wanted to tell Emma to get both hands back on the steering wheel, but the other woman's touch was actually bringing her comfort, so she decided to enjoy it for a moment.

"Relax." Emma said. "My parents will be none the wiser that this isn't real, OK? I'll make sure of that. We're going to give Oscar-worthy performances over the next few days, and everyone will think that we're head-over-heals in love with each other."

"You sound confident." Regina commented.

"I am confident." Emma admitted, putting her hand back on the steering wheel. Regina missed the comfort that it had brought her when it was on her knee, but that comfort was made up when she reminded herself that there was less chance of them crashing now. "Besides," Emma continued. "We're not going to be together all the time. We only have to pretend to be a couple when we're with my friends or family, which isn't going to be 24/7."

"True." Regina conceded, feeling more at ease now. "Everything will be fine."

"That's the spirit!" Emma said with a grin, causing Regina to laugh slightly.

They drove in silence for a couple of minutes, down a long road that had no buildings in sight, just trees on either side. Regina began to wonder if there was any civilisation at all in Storybrooke, but then she finally saw an old cabin. It looked like it was abandoned now, but at least it was proof that there was life there. (Or had been, at least).

"Is there anything else you want to tell me before I meet your parents?" Regina asked, not wanting to mess up their act on the first day.

"There is one thing," Emma admitted. "You should probably call me Emma."

"What?" Regina frowned and looked at the blonde.

"You only ever call me 'Ms. Swan'." Emma reminded her. "If you were my fiancee, you wouldn't call me that. Well, unless we were doing some sexy role-play where I was your teacher, and you were wearing a sexy schoolgirl uniform."

"Ms. Swan." Regina said firmly, not wanting to hear what kind of sex life she would have with Emma.

"Emma." Emma corrected with a grin. "That's exactly what I mean. You should call me Emma."

"Fine." Regina agreed. "Emma." It felt weird calling the blonde by her actual name, but she supposed she would have to get used to it if she was going to convince people that they were a real couple.

Eventually, Emma indicated that she was going to turn off the main road and onto a dirt track, and Regina felt nerves hit her again. As they turned onto the new road, numerous cars came into view, lining the road on either side. At the end of the track, a large, wooden cabin could be seen, larger than anything Regina had been expecting.

"Shit." Emma mumbled, capturing Regina's attention.

"What?" She asked, slightly worried now.

"There's only one cabin at the end of this path, and that belongs to my parents. Look at all these cars." Emma swept an arm in front of her to indicate to all the cars. "I should have expected this." She said, more to herself than to Regina.

"Expected what?" Regina asked with a frown. Was she missing something?

Emma looked at her in a deadly serious way, and sighed. "They've thrown us a damn party."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you don't mind that I decided to make August Emma's brother.   
> I also hope that you're all enjoying this story so far :)


	5. Party Time

As Emma pulled the car into the driveway and shut off the engine, she couldn't help but feel nervous. She had assured Regina that everything would be fine and her parents would believe their charade, but there was still a niggling feeling of doubt in her mind that was making her anxious.

What if her family didn't buy it? What if she and Regina slipped up? What if Regina got deported and Emma ended up in  _jail_?

Having to pretend to be in love with her boss, who she didn't even  _like_  on the best of days, was going to be difficult. They would have to act comfortable with each other, and display signs of affection that looked practised, like they had been performed a million times before. Holding hands with Regina, or kissing her cheek, was going to be incredibly awkward, and Emma was not looking forward to it in the slightest.

On the bright side, Emma knew that Regina would hate the experience even more. The brunette was intolerant, and never stepped out of her comfort zone. Now, she didn't have much of a choice, and the sadist in Emma found pleasure in knowing that her boss would be more miserable than her.

Emma looked across the car at her boss, expecting to see the brunette in some kind of emotional distress, whether that be nervousness, apprehension, or even anger. But Regina didn't look like she was feeling any of those things. If anything, she seemed awestruck as she looked at the large, wooden cabin in front of her.

Emma looked at the building that she had spent many summers in growing up. To her, it wasn't that impressive, but she assumed that was just because she had spent so much time there that she was now immune to the grandness of it.

The cabin was two storeys high, and stretched wide on either side, clearly containing a lot of rooms inside. There were four steps that led up to the front door, which was a grand, glass double-door, revealing the hallway inside, which was large and spacious. At the bottom of the steps, gravel covered the floor in a semi-circular shape that started at each end of the house and, in the middle, the dirt path led back to the main road. Trees covered the area surrounding the house, except for the large back garden, which couldn't be seen from the front. A garage sat to the left of the cabin, which had enough room for two cars, but Emma knew that it was mostly filled with equipment for outdoor activities, like bikes and a barbecue.

"Your parents  _own_  this?" Regina asked after a few moments, leaning forwards so she could see up to the second storey.

"Yeah, why?"

Regina looked at her, her face full of surprise and wonder. "What do they do for a living?"

"My dad's the sheriff, and my mom's the mayor." Emma answered, unbuckling her seat belt. "But the cabin actually belonged to my grandfather, Leo. He was a fancy businessman. He passed the cabin down to my mom when he passed away."

"You never told me you were rich."

"I'm not rich. My parents are rich." Emma corrected.

"That's something that only rich people say." Regina stated, then opened the car door.

"Wait!" Emma stopped Regina before the brunette could exit the vehicle, needing to remind the brunette of something before she was introduced to her family. "Remember, I've told my parents that you're my girlfriend, but they don't know that we're 'engaged'." She used air quotes for the word 'engaged', seeing as it was a false engagement. "I'll tell them that you're my fiancee at some point, but we're going to tell them  _my_  way, when _I_  think it's a good time. Got it?"

Regina smiled a sickly sweet smile. "Yes, dear."

Emma just rolled her eyes and got out of the car. Almost immediately, she heard the front door to the cabin open. When she looked up, she saw Mary Margaret, David and August all come rushing out to greet her, and grinned at the sight of them. It had been a long time since she had seen them, _too_  long, and it was only now that she was realising just how much she had missed her family.

"Emma!" Mary Margaret shouted as she rushed down the front steps and ran into her daughter's arms.

"Hey mom." Emma smiled, squeezing her mother.

She heard, rather than saw, David and August walking on the gravel towards them, and Regina walking around the car to stand next to her. After a second, Emma moved to break the hug, but Mary Margaret just held on tighter, effectively trapping her.

"Mom, you're suffocating her." August said when he joined them.

Mary Margaret huffed, but let go of Emma and stepped back. Emma turned to her brother and grinned. "Hey, you." He said, wrapping his arms around her and patting her back.

"I missed you." Emma breathed as she released August, then turned to her father.

One look at David and Emma knew something wasn't quite right. She thought that he would be happy that his daughter was home, but he was looking at her with a perplexity that Emma found strange.

"Dad." Emma said with a hesitant smile. She moved to give him a hug, the same as she had with her mother and brother, and he hugged her back with much less enthusiasm, which Emma found strange.

"We've all missed you, so much." David said.

The words offered Emma some reassurance and she couldn't wipe the smile off her face if she tried as she realised that this was a moment that she could stay in forever. Her family meant the world to her and, even if she didn't see them much anymore, they still took up a huge part in her heart. She couldn't imagine her life without them, and was so thankful that they had adopted her. Mary Margaret, David and August were better than any biological family that Emma could ask for.

Eventually, she separated herself from her family, her cheeks hurting from smiling so widely. However, her perfect moment didn't last as long as she would have hoped, because her mother said something that made her nerves return.

"Aren't you going to introduce us to your girlfriend?" Mary Margaret looked between Emma and Regina with an excited smile.

Mary Margaret had wanted Emma to be in a relationship for a  _long_  time, so seeing Regina with Emma was almost dream come true for her. Emma was worried that her mother would grill her 'fiancee' the first chance she got, asking to know everything about her to make sure that she deserved her daughter. She was worried to see how Regina would react and cope with Mary Margaret's interrogation, but knew that her boss was a strong woman. She could take care of herself, and if anything, she should be worried about her mother. Regina wouldn't hesitate in biting Mary Margaret's head off if she crossed a line.

Emma looked at Regina, to see how she was holding up, and saw that she looked very uncomfortable. She was clinging to her handbag like it was a life line and she was out at sea; like it was the only thing keeping her afloat. Emma offered the brunette a reassuring smile as she stepped closer to her.

Emma put her hand on the small of Regina's back, partly to calm her down, and partly to keep up appearances. This is what they would do if they were really engaged, right? Emma would touch Regina and stand close to her if they were really a couple, so that was what she would have to do now. Emma started rubbing her hand in a small circle, which seemed to make Regina relax slightly.

"This is my brother, August." Emma said, indicating to August who gave an awkward wave. "This is my dad, David." Emma moved on to David. This time, Regina held her hand out for him to shake, which David did, with a serious look on his face. "And this is my mom, Mary Margaret."

Regina put her hand out for the other woman to shake, but handshakes weren't really Mary Margaret's thing. Instead, the pixie-haired woman wrapped her arms around Regina and pulled her into a tight hug. Emma had to hold back a laugh at the way that Regina remained completely still for a moment. Emma knew that her boss wasn't a hugger, and could see how uncomfortable she was in that moment, and it thoroughly amused her.

Eventually, Regina recovered from her surprise and awkwardly put her hands on Mary Margaret's back, giving her a quick pat. They remained like that for a moment, with Mary Margaret squeezing Regina, and Regina looking like she'd lost the will to live. Finally, Regina pulled away, clearly having had enough of the physical contact, and moved back to the safety of Emma's side.

"So," David said, catching everyone's attention, but he was only looking at Regina. "Do you prefer being called 'Regina', or 'the Evil Queen'? Because we've heard it both ways."

Emma's eyes widened at her father's words. David definitely wasn't being himself today, and Emma found his behaviour odd. She didn't know what was going on with him, so she didn't know how to fix it. Instead, she looked at her boss apologetically. Regina, for her part, just narrowed her eyes slightly and opened her mouth to speak, but Mary Margaret beat her to it.

"David!" The pixie-haired woman said, accompanied by a slap on the arm.

"What?" David asked innocently. "I'm kidding!"

Mary Margaret turned to Regina with an apologetic smile. "Ignore him. He likes to think he's funny, but..." She glared at her husband, then looked back to the brunette. "Ignore him."

Regina smiled slightly and nodded her head. "It's quite alright." She said, feeling Emma's hand come to rest on her back again.

"Mom, what's all this?" Emma said, indicating to all the vehicles on the path leading to the house.

"Just a little party in your honour." Mary Margaret said casually. "All of our friends and family wanted to come and welcome you home, and meet your girlfriend." She looked at Regina with a smile, clearly _very_  excited that Emma had a girlfriend.

"I didn't want to make a big deal." Emma mumbled with a shake of her head. "Anyway, we're only here to say hi. We want to go and get checked in at Granny's before-"

"Oh, you're not checking into Granny's." Mary Margaret interrupted.

"What do you mean?"

"Family don't stay at hotels. You're staying here, with us, in the cabin."

Emma opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it, closed it, trying to find something to say. She knew she probably looked like a fish, but she didn't care right now. The plan had been that she and Regina would stay at the B&B, in separate rooms, so that they didn't have to pretend to be a couple 24/7. She needed that time away from her boss in order to remain sane, and she knew that Regina needed that time away from her too. But, if they stayed in the cabin, then they would be together all the time, pretending to be a couple all the time, driving each other crazy. All. The. Time.

The thought made Emma's heart sink as she realised that this week was going to be more difficult than she had anticipated. The more time that she and Regina spent together, in front of her parents, meant the more time there was for them to mess up. This just kept getting worse.

"Mom, seriously, that's not necessary. We're fine in the B&B." Emma tried, in vain, to argue.

"Nonsense." Mary Margaret dismissed with a wave of her hand. "You're staying here, with us, and that's final."

Emma looked at Regina, who had her jaw clenched with barely concealed anger. "Mom-"

"Come on," Mary Margaret didn't let Emma speak, instead turning towards the cabin. "Everyone is waiting for you. You can bring your bags in later, we don't want to keep all these people waiting."

* * *

As they walked through the doors and into the house, it became clear to Regina that the cabin was just as magnificent on the outside as it was on the inside. It was large and spacious, nicely decorated with high ceilings and polished hardwood floors.

Regina was used to fancy buildings, seeing as her parents had been quite wealthy from the book publishing company. However, she would never have guessed that Emma had been raised in the lap of luxury. Emma didn't wear designer clothing, or act like she was better than anyone else because she came from money.

Regina suddenly realised that Emma worked as her assistant through choice, rather than necessity, and she was surprised that the blonde continued to do so. Emma must  _really_  want to be a writer and editor, and Regina had denied her of her dream for years.

It wasn't in Regina's nature to feel bad about her actions, but the thought that she was the reason that Emma's dreams hadn't come true made her feel like a bad person. It was never nice to think that your own selfish actions had made somebody else unhappy. Especially someone as kind as Emma, who was faking an entire engagement so that Regina wouldn't get deported.

Regina pushed her feelings of guilt away as the group moved through the hall and into a different room, which turned out to be the living room. The living room was also large, with all the furniture pointed towards a fireplace, rather than a television. Regina found that endearing and thought that, despite the size of the room, it was probably cosy at night when the fire was lit.

The room was filled with people, so many that it was a little too crowded for Regina's liking, but no one else seemed to mind. They were all smiling and chatting, though that stopped when they noticed Emma's presence. As soon as they spotted the blonde, cheers broke out and people gave her a round of applause.

Everyone already had drinks, and music was playing in the background, so it was clear that the party was already well under way. Regina noticed straight away that Emma had been right when she said people in Storybrooke weren't fancy. Everyone was wearing casual clothes: jeans, or something of a similar quality. Regina, in her tight dress and blazer, probably stuck out like a sore thumb.

"Uh, hi everyone." Emma said, as the room went quiet to listen to what she had to say. "Thank you all for coming. It's good to see you all. It's, uh, been a while." Emma paused awkwardly, clearly not knowing what to say. "I'm looking forward to catching up with everyone over the next few days that I'll be in town."

"Who's your bird?" A faceless voice called from the crowd, causing Emma to swallow.

"Oh, this is Regina." Emma stepped backwards so she was next to her 'girlfriend'. She hesitated for a moment, then wrapped her arm around Regina's waist. Regina didn't know what to do, mostly because she was painfully aware that this was her assistant, but she leant into Emma side and tried to look as natural as possible. "Regina's my girlfriend." There were a few cheers and whistles, and Emma laughed slightly. Regina forced a smile, hating the way that everyone in the room was looking at her and probably judging her.

"But, anyway," Emma said, trying to wrap this up. "I hope you all have a good time today. Drink, eat and have fun."

People started to clap, then went back to their conversations, so Emma let go of Regina and walked to the edge of the room. Regina followed the blonde, not knowing what else to do or where else to go. They ended up next to a drinks table, where Emma wasted no time in getting herself a bottle of beer.

"You want anything?" Emma asked, nodding to the array of beverages.

"No, thank you." Regina declined. She'd rather stay sober so that she didn't accidentally slip up.

"What about food? Knowing my mom, there'll be a buffet in the kitchen."

"No, thank you. Buffet food isn't really my thing." Regina informed the blonde with a wrinkled nose.

There was something about knowing the food had been sitting out for an unknown period of time, on full display for anyone to touch or any bugs to land on. It made her feel sick.

"Listen, I know that you prefer to feast on children while they dream, but there's none of those here. If you're hungry, it'll have to be buffet food."

Regina narrowed her eyes at Emma due to the dig, but shook her head. "I'm not hungry."

"Suit yourself." Emma shrugged, before sipping her beer.

Regina looked around at all the guests. She knew that Storybrooke was a small town and, from the looks of it, half of its inhabitants were currently in this room. The fact that so many people would come out to welcome Emma home was surprising, and showed the blonde's popularity in this town. Or, at least, her parents' popularity. If Emma's mom was the mayor, and her father the sheriff, then this family must be like royalty in the small town. They practically ran the place!

The fact that Regina would have to be introduced to all these people, and the fact that she would have to pretend to be Emma's fiancee in front of them all, made her nerves return. She hadn't anticipated that their play would have such a large audience.

Regina sighed as she realised that this would be a _long_  afternoon, and this was only the beginning.

* * *

Regina and Emma didn't have time to talk much, because an endless stream of guests kept on coming over to say hi to Emma and be introduced to her girlfriend. Regina was nervous at first, worried that she would say something to give away their plan, but Emma's hand found its way to the small of her back, causing her to feel calmer for some reason. She wondered if this was Emma's default fake-a-relationship move, as Emma had been doing it repeatedly since they arrived.

After a while, Regina resigned to not saying anything while Emma chatted with her old friends and family. She would greet them and answer any questions that they had, but other than that, she was quiet. It took some of the pressure off her and she began to relax even more.

However, one couple who came over seemed to want to know Regina's life story, and asked question after question, all of them directed at her. The questions moved from Regina's life, to Regina and Emma's relationship, and the brunette started to get nervous as she made up answers to the questions.  _It wasn't love at first sight, but I knew that Emma was special the second I laid eyes on her. Our first date was at my apartment, I cooked my famous lasagna._

Each question the couple asked, Regina got more and more nervous that she would slip up, but then she felt some pressure on the small of her back, which she instantly knew was Emma's hand. It annoyed her that the action actually calmed her down. She didn't want Emma to have that effect on her, and she got mad at herself that the blonde somehow did have the power to soothe her, just by putting her hand on her back.

Eventually, the couple left, and there was a break in the stream of guests, so Emma turned to Regina with a smile.

"We survived our first interrogation." Emma said proudly.

" _I_  survived out first interrogation. You just stood there and let me do all the talking." Regina reminded her, annoyed that she had been left to answer all of the questions herself.

"They were asking you." Emma shrugged.

Regina just shook her head at the blonde's excuse and sighed. "You never told me you were practically a Kennedy here." She said bitterly.

Emma just frowned and shook her head. "Stop being dramatic."

"I'm not being dramatic." Regina argued defensively. "I feel like I've just been introduced to the whole town and I think a word of warning would have been nice."

Emma just rolled her eyes and picked up another bottle of beer. Regina watched her for a second, before a question entered her mind. "When are you going to tell people that we're engaged?"

"When  _I_  see fit." Emma answered.

"Well, now's the perfect opportunity. Everyone is here."

"Regina, I said it was  _my_  choice." Emma said sternly.

"I'm just trying to help." Regina said with a frown.

"Well, don't."

Regina sighed and shook her head, folding her arms across her chest. Would it not be easier to announce the engagement when everyone was in the same room? That would save them having to tell different people on many different occasions. She was just trying to make things easier by suggesting they tell everyone now, but Emma just seemed to be annoyed at the suggestion. The way Emma had snapped at her put her in a bad mood, so she folded her arms across her chest and looked away.

She was put in an even worse mood when Emma put her hand on her back again, but this time, she moved out of the blonde's touch.

"Will you stop that?" Regina said.

"Stop what?"

"Touching me!"

Emma looked at her incredulously and shook her head. "You know that if we were dating then I would touch you, right? I'm just trying to make it believable."

"No one's even watching us." Regina reminded the blonde, signalling to the spot in front of them, where people had been standing to talk to them for the past forty minutes, but was now empty.

"Most of the people in this room are watching us, Regina." Emma informed her. "The mayor and sheriff's daughter has just returned from  _New York_  with her _girl_ friend, that's kinda big news in a town like Storybrooke. I saw some people watching us, which is why I put my hand on your back. Just relax, OK? There's no need to bite my head off."

Regina felt guilty for telling Emma to stop touching her, then felt annoyed that she was letting herself feel guilty. This day had been very emotionally tiring for her. "Look, we need to stop bickering." She said after a moment. "People aren't going to believe that we're a couple if we can't stop arguing."

"I can do that." Emma said with a shrug. "It's easy for me to play nice, but for you...Well, that's another story entirely."

"What did I just say?" Regina said through gritted teeth, sick of Emma constantly picking fights.

"Alright." Emma held up her hands in surrender. "No more bickering."

Regina noticed a woman nearby watching them, and suddenly felt self-conscious. So far, she had left it up to Emma to make it look like they were a real couple, so maybe it was her turn. She wrapped her arm around Emma's waist and pulled the blonde closer, into a half-hug. She thought that it would be uncomfortable, but she seemed to fit perfectly into Emma's side, so she smiled to herself at the pleasant surprise.

"See? Touching me isn't going to burn you." Emma said, looking down at Regina with a smile.

Regina rolled her eyes, just as two young women walked over to them.

"Emma, you're back!" One girl, who had tanned skin and dark hair, hugged Emma.

Emma smiled and hugged the girl back. "Lily, it's so good to see you. I haven't seen you since-"

"The party you threw two years ago, to celebrate your new job." Lily finished for her. "Yeah, that was a good night. Well, the parts of it that I remember, at least." Lily smiled and turned to Regina to add. "A  _lot_  of alcohol was involved."

"The last time that _I_  saw you was actually the morning after. Right, Em?" The other girl, who had red streaks in her hair and a skirt that would pass at a belt, winked at Emma.

 _What does that mean?_ Regina asked herself, though she had a feeling that she already knew the answer. Her assumption was pretty much proved correct when Emma blushed and looked down.

"Ruby," Emma said, in a voice that held a warning.

"What? Friends hook-up sometimes. It didn't mean anything. Anyway, we had a good time." Ruby shrugged, looking like she didn't understand what the big deal was. But then she looked at Regina and a look of realisation crossed her features. "Shit, this is your girlfriend, isn't it? And I just made things awkward."

"This is Regina." Emma introduced. "Regina, this is Lily, and this is Ruby." Emma pointed to each woman in turn so they could all smile and greet each other.

"It didn't mean anything." Ruby said to Regina, clearly trying to clear things up with the woman she thought was Emma's girlfriend. "We just had sex once, on the night before Emma left for New York again. And we made out a few times before that, but it didn't mean anything. I mean, not that we didn't have a good time, but-"

"Ruby, just stop." Emma interrupted, trying to prevent Ruby from digging herself further into a hole.

"Right." Ruby agreed. The group descended into a moment of awkward silence, leaving Regina to think.

Regina felt more awkward now that this news had been revealed to her. Emma liked girls? Like,  _like_  liked girls? Regina hadn't known that, and now that she did, her heart was beating faster.  _She_  liked girls, but she had no idea that Emma did too. It just made pretending to be in a relationship more awkward now. And, for some reason, she felt disgusted that Emma would actually give this girl, Ruby, the time of day. The scantily-clad girl was way too slutty for Emma, who could do so much better.

Regina snapped herself out of her daydream and back to reality, where there was still an awkward silence in the group.

"So, what does a book editor do, anyway?" Ruby asked Emma, with a polite smile.

Emma opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted by her father before she had the chance. "You're asking the wrong person there, Rubes. Emma isn't the editor,  _Regina_  is the editor. Emma is just her assistant." David said.

Ruby's mouth formed an 'O' shape as she turned back to Emma. "So, this is actually your..." She started, pointing to Regina in a way that Regina thought was rather rude.

"Boss?" Regina finished, having had enough of just standing around and keeping her mouth shut. "Yes, I am her boss. I'm also her girlfriend. The fact that Emma works for me doesn't effect our relationship though, so I don't think it's an issue. Do you?"

Ruby looked surprised and shook her head. "N- no, of course not."

"Good." Regina smiled in a fake way and felt Emma's hand come to rest on her back  _again_.

Lily cleared her throat and shuffled awkwardly. "So, what does an editor's  _assistant_  do then?" She asked, obviously trying to remove the tension.

Emma opened her mouth, but yet again, David butted in. "What do you think? Emma answers a phone and schedules meetings for a living. Isn't that right?" He turned to his daughter expectantly, and Emma found herself getting more and more annoyed by his behaviour.

"There's a little more to it than that." Emma said, trying to silently communicate with her father that he needed to stop embarrassing her right now.

"Oh right," David said, tipping his head back as if he had just remembered something. "How could I forget the coffee runs?"

"Dad." Emma warned.

"I should probably go and find Granny." Ruby said, obviously trying to escape the awkwardness. "You know, just to make sure she's OK. She's getting old now."

"I'll come with you." Lily said, then the two women disappeared back into the crowd.

Emma turned to her father, looking at him like he'd completely lost the plot. When all she got was an innocent smile in response, she grabbed his arm and turned to Regina.

"Just give us a minute." She said to her 'fiancee', then walked to a quiet corner of the room, dragging her father with her.

Once they were out of earshot of the people around them, Emma turned to David with a look of anger on her face. Who did he think he was? Belittling her job like that in front of her friends and her boss who, as far as David knew, was also her girlfriend. It was humiliating and awkward and had just made everyone in the conversation uncomfortable.

She knew that something was bothering David, and had been since she and Regina had arrived, and now she intended to find out exactly what it was.

"What the hell are you doing?" Emma demanded in a way that, if she weren't so angry, would have made her cringe due to how similar she sounded to Regina.

"What the hell am  _I_  doing? What the hell are  _you_  doing?" David responded, earning a frown from his daughter.

"What are you talking about?"

"You come home after all this time, bringing with you the woman that you have hated for years, claiming that she's your  _girlfriend_. How did this even happen, Emma?"

"That's what this is about?" Emma asked. "You're not happy that I'm dating Regina?"

"I'm not happy that you're lying to us." David corrected, folding his arms across his chest. "You can drop the act, Emma. I know what's going on here."

The logical part of Emma's brain told her that David didn't actually know what was going on. There was no way that he could know Regina was facing deportation, or that their whole relationship was a sham so that Regina could stay in the county. Yet the paranoid section of Emma's brain still worried that he had found out somehow, which made her start to panic internally. The thought of jail time and a $250,000 fine came to mind, and she swallowed uncomfortably.

"What do you think is going on?" She asked, trying to sound as calm as possible.

"I think that you're sleeping your way to the top." David said confidently. "Having a 'relationship' with your boss to increase your chance of a promotion. And I'm disappointed, because I thought you were better than that."

Emma had to stop herself from sighing in relief as David proved that he didn't actually know the truth. "That's not what I'm doing."

"Like hell it is! All you've done for the past two years is complain about how much you hate that woman, and now you're dating her?"

"Things have changed." Emma said with a shrug, which wasn't technically a lie. Things  _had_  changed. Primarily, Regina's migration status.

"Oh, really? Just like that you've gone from hating her to dating her?" David clicked his fingers at the appropriate time. Emma just lifted a shoulder, causing her father to get more annoyed. "Don't lie to me, Emma. It's insulting."

"I'm not lying!" Emma said, which was technically true. She wasn't sleeping with Regina to get further in her career, she was just pretending to be engaged to her...

"Admit it: that woman over there is your meal ticket. You're using her to get the promotion that you've always wanted, and I am disgusted that your have brought her here to meet your mother!"

The way that he was looking at her with such disappointment, mixed with anger, made Emma realise that this had to stop. "Dad, she's not my meal ticket! She's my fiancee!"

David looked completely taken aback at Emma's words. He paused for a second and frowned, looking utterly perplexed. "She's your fiancee?"

"Yes, ok? We're getting married."

It was at that moment that Emma noticed the room was a lot quieter than it had been a moment ago. In fact, all the chatter had stopped, and all that could be heard was some soft music coming from the stereo. Emma frowned and looked around, her face going pale when she realised that everyone was staring at her, with similar looks of shock to David.

Her eyes settled on Regina, who was standing next to Mary Margaret and giving her a look that said :' _What the hell?'_ Mary Margaret, on the other hand, looked like she was about to have an aneurysm.

Emma swallowed audibly and had to physically restrain herself from face palming. This was  _definitely_  not the way she had planned on telling her parents that she was engaged.


	6. Chapter 6

_"I should probably go and find Granny." Ruby said, obviously trying to escape the awkwardness. "You know, just to make sure she's OK. She's getting old now."_

_"I'll come with you." Lily said, then the two women disappeared back into the crowd._

_Emma turned to her father, looking at him like he'd completely lost the plot. When all she got was an innocent smile in response, she grabbed his arm and turned to Regina._

_"Just give us a minute." The blonde said to her, before leaving her on her own for the first time._

_And then there was one..._ Regina thought to herself, looking at the empty area in front of her that had moments ago been occupied by four people. She sighed and watched Emma pull David to the corner so that they could speak. Regina didn't blame the blonde for getting annoyed. David had been frosty with them both since they had arrived and, if it were Regina, she would have demanded to know why as soon as David had given his first questionable look.

She couldn't hear what Emma and David were saying and, from her angle, she couldn't even lip read, so she turned away and began to look for some other way to entertain herself. There was no one in the room that she knew beyond what she had learnt from awkward small talk, nor was there anybody that she had any desire to speak to, so she found herself looking at the drinks table for anything that tickled her fancy.

It was mostly beer, which Regina detested, but there were thankfully some other choices. She was disappointed that there was no apple cider, but there was an expensive-looking bottle of red wine which she supposed would suffice. She poured herself a glass and took a sip, pleasantly surprised by how good it tasted.

Realising that she was probably in peoples' way where she was currently standing, she turned around to move away from the table. However, someone was standing behind her, much closer than she had expected, who she ended up bumping into with uncomfortable force.

The wine she was holding didn't stand a chance as her glass tipped, causing the red liquid to fly out and land all over the man in front of her. Regina's eyebrows shot up in surprise, for both having walked into someone, and because wine was now everywhere. She looked down at herself to see if she had been hit by it too. Luckily, she was stain-free, which was more than could be said for the man, whose top was now a deep purple all down the middle.

Regina smirked at the sight, revelling in the most exciting thing that had happened all day.

"What the hell?!" The man, who was wearing a hat, despite the fact that he was indoors, yelled. "Watch where you're going, sister!"

Regina lifted an eyebrow.  _Feisty one._ "Watch where _I'm_  going?  _You're_  the one with no respect for personal boundaries."

The man frowned at her, looking livid, which just amused Regina. "What are you talking about? I respect personal boundaries."

"The fact that you were standing so close to me suggests otherwise." Regina stated, folding her arms across her chest.

"I was just getting a drink, it isn't my fault that you were blocking the table!"

As Regina breathed in, she could smell the alcohol on the man's breath and had to force herself not to wrinkle her nose in disgust. "I think you've had quite enough to drink."

The man's face grew even darker as he stepped closer to her, having to look up at her face due to the fact he was a few inches shorter than her. "I don't know who you think you are, sister, but-"

"Is everything OK here?"

Regina turned to look at who was interfering. She didn't know whether to be disappointed or relieved when she saw Mary Margaret coming to stand next to her. Seeing this man getting all worked up had been rather entertaining in Regina's opinion, but at least now he wasn't going to get any closer to her with his dirty clothes and bad breath.

"Your daughter's girl just threw wine all over me." The man said to Mary Margaret.

Regina rolled her eyes and corrected, "It was an accident. I bumped into him and it spilled."

Mary Margaret just shook her head at the man. "Leroy, why don't you go to the bathroom and clean yourself up?"

"No need. I was leaving anyway." Leroy leaned in closer to Regina one last time to say, "This isn't over." Then stormed out of the room.

Regina wanted to laugh, but knew that that wouldn't make a good impression on Emma's mother. So, she forced herself to remain neutral as she turned to the pixie-haired woman.

"Sorry about him." Mary Margaret said, seeming genuinely embarrassed. "Leroy's been all over the place since his girlfriend broke up with him. He's been drinking more than he should and being, well, grumpy. But don't worry about him. He's harmless."

Regina nodded her head in understanding and looked around the room. Emma and David were still talking in the corner, which seemed to be getting heated, but she still couldn't make out what they were saying.

"I'm so glad that Emma decided to introduce you to us." Mary Margaret said, taking Regina by surprise. "It's every mother's dream to meet the person who can make their child happy and, well, Emma hasn't been in a relationship for years."

Regina frowned, surprised to hear that seeing as Emma was an undeniably beautiful woman. "She hasn't?"

Mary Margaret shook her head, with a slightly confused expression on her face. "I thought that you would know that, seeing as you're her girlfriend now."

Regina's eyes widened slightly as she panicked. She hadn't intended to almost slip up, certainly not this soon after meeting everyone. "Oh, I do know." Regina said, cursing herself mentally. "We've talked about our past relationships, but I was just wondering if she'd missed anyone."

Mary Margaret looked at her sceptically but nodded her head. "No, Emma has always wanted to focus on her career. She says she doesn't have time to date because she's always working, but I guess she found a way around that by dating you." The other woman nudged Regina with a smile, and Regina just nodded uncomfortably.

She looked over to the direction that Emma was in, wanting the blonde to save her before she said anything to ruin their act, but Emma was too caught up in her conversation with David. Things were getting more and more heated, and now the father and daughter's voices could be heard battling over the crowd. People in the room stopped talking to see what was going on, making Emma and David's conversation audible to everyone.

"Admit it: that woman over there is your meal ticket. You're using her to get the promotion that you've always wanted, and I am disgusted that your have brought her here to meet your mother!" David was saying, causing Regina to blush and look uncomfortably to Mary Margaret, who was frowning at her husband's words.

"Dad, she's not my meal ticket! She's my fiancee!" Emma responded, making Regina freeze in shock. The heads of many of the guests turned in Regina's direction, making her extremely uncomfortable.

"She's your fiancee?" David asked, his voice quieter now.

"Yes, ok? We're getting married." Emma informed David and, inadvertently, everyone else in the room.

It was at that moment that Emma decided to look to the side and see that she had at least thirty people eavesdropping on her conversation. Regina watched the blonde's face drop in fear as she made eye contact with her.

"You're marrying my daughter?" Mary Margaret said, gaining Regina's attention.

Regina swallowed, well-aware that the eyes of everyone in the room were currently on her. "Yes."

For the next few moments, the tension was palpable. Everyone was staring at Regina, Emma, Mary Margaret and David, waiting to see who would be the first to react, and not daring to even breathe to draw attention to themselves.

Regina knew that Mary Margaret and David might not take the news well. She knew that they might not approve of Emma marrying her boss, or marrying someone that they barely knew. They might think that this had been rushed into and, even though Regina didn't know the couple that well, she could tell that they were traditional so it was likely that this would be their opinion. They probably wouldn't like her, and would want Emma to slow down and take her time to make sure that Regina was the right woman.

The idea that David and Mary Margaret wouldn't approve of her worried Regina. If Emma's parents didn't like her, then Emma might just call this whole thing off. She didn't want that. She didn't want to have to go back to Canada, and she didn't want... she just didn't want that.

Regina made eye contact with Emma, trying to silently urge the blonde to do something. All Emma did was give her a reassuring smile, then look at her mother to gauge her reaction.

After what felt like an eternity, Mary Margaret finally reacted to the news. A smile broke out on her face as she said, "Will someone get the champagne?"

* * *

It was early evening by the time most of the guests had left, and Regina was physically and mentally drained. Talking to so many strangers was tiring, as was accepting the congratulations of dozens of people. For the past couple of hours, she had been latched to Emma's side, thanking everyone who wished them well. She never got chance to actually speak to Emma privately, because they constantly had a crowd around them, which Regina found annoying.

But, eventually, guests started to depart, giving Regina the opportunity to talk to Emma. The first thing she said was: " _That_  was your way of telling your parents about our engagement?" Emma glared at her, which made her smirk. "It was great, really. Great timing, great execution. Couldn't have done it better myself." Her voice dripped with sarcasm, which made Emma roll her eyes.

"Will you shut up? That wasn't how I intended everyone find out, it just... happened."

Surprisingly, everyone had taken the engagement well. People were happy for them, and even David seemed satisfied that his daughter actually loved Regina, and wasn't just using her to further her career. That was a relief, because at least Emma didn't have an excuse to end their engagement now. It looked like the plan may work out, after all. Well, as long as the next four days went well.

But, all that mattered to Regina right now was the fact that they had gotten the first day out of the way. It wasn't a full day, but it still counted, and surely the first introductions was the hard part. Now, all they had to do was keep up appearances, which shouldn't be too difficult.

At that moment, Emma let out a long yawn, which she didn't even attempt to cover. "I could sleep for a year right now."

"It's six thirty." Regina reminded the blonde.

"Yes, and I've spent a whole day having to deal with you. It's tiring work."

The brunette narrowed her eyes at Emma after she had given yet another dig. "I thought we had agreed to stop bickering."

Emma sighed, knowing that Regina was right and they should stop arguing. But being nice to Regina after two years of being tortured by her just didn't feel natural. Emma felt like she _had_  to rebel in some way, and her way of doing that was snide remarks. But they would have to end soon, or else people would know this was an act.

"Alright, I'll stop." Emma agreed reluctantly.

The only people left in the room by now were close friends and family. David, Mary Margaret, August, Ruby, Lily, Granny, and a handful of others. Emma couldn't wait for them to leave so that she could go and sleep, but it would obviously be rude of her to ask them to go. Luckily, it seemed that Granny was about to leave, as she was gathering up her things, and Ruby would undoubtedly go with her, quickly followed by Lily. It was just a matter of time before everyone left. It was like dominoes: one person knocked down the next, then the next, then the next.

But then there was a knock on the front door, which made everyone look around in confusion. Half of the town had been at the party, so who could possibly be coming to the house now?

Mary Margaret stood up to answer the door, giving the confused group a reassuring smile. "I'm sure one of our guests just forgot their coat or something."

Emma nodded her head in agreement, but still watched the doorway with curiosity while she waited for whoever it was to appear. Everyone else in the room got back to chatting quietly, but Emma was standing with Regina and didn't have anything to say to the brunette, so she just waited to find out who was at the door. It took a few moments before Mary Margaret came back into the room with the newest visitor in tow.

When Emma saw who it was, her mouth dropped open in surprise. She hadn't been expecting to see him here. Sure, she knew she would probably run into him while she was in Storybrooke at some point; it was a small town, you couldn't avoid anyone for long. But she didn't think he would come _here._ She didn't think he would want to see her intentionally.

As he stood in the doorway, his eyes searched the room until they landed on Emma, then he smiled and made his way over.

"Hey, Em." He greeted, putting his hands in his pockets sheepishly.

Emma was so shocked that she felt speechless. She didn't know what to say or how to react, so all she managed to do was squeak out, "Neal."

"It's been a while, huh?" Neal said with a smile. "But you look..." He looked her up and down and then raised his eyebrows. "You look really good."

Emma opened her mouth to say something, but no words came to her. She was vaguely aware of the confused look that Regina was giving her, but was too shocked by Neal's presence to really register it. She must have looked like an idiot, staring at Neal with wide eyes and an open mouth, but that was nothing compared to how much of an idiot she must have looked when words finally formed in her mouth.

"You're late to the party." She said, then closed her eyes at how stupid it sounded.

Neal let out a laugh. "Yeah, sorry. I couldn't decide whether or not to come. I didn't know if you'd want to see me." Neal rocked on his heels awkwardly, then glanced at Regina, seeming to notice her for the first time. "We're being rude." He said when he realised he'd completely ignored the brunette. He then looked at Emma. "Aren't you going to introduce us?"

Emma swallowed, then hoped it hadn't sounded as loud to everyone else at it had to her. "Regina, this is Neal, my ex..." Emma said, pointing to Neal. She then indicated to Regina and said, "Neal, this is my... Regina. She's my... well, she's my-"

"Fiancée." Regina finished, giving Emma a look of half confusion, and half ' _what the hell are you doing? You're going to ruin our plan.'_

"Fiancée?" Neal repeated, looking just as shocked as Emma had been when she first saw him. "You're... you two are...?" He looked between the two women like they had grown tentacles.

"Engaged?" Emma finished uncomfortably. "Yep."

"Wow," Neal breathed, leaning backwards slightly as he absorbed the information. "I guess a lot has changed since you moved to New York then."

Emma lifted a shoulder and admitted, "I guess so."

"Engaged?" Neal ran a hand through his hair. "Wow." He said again, making the moment awkward.

Regina looked between the two, no doubt wondering what had transpired between them. He was Emma's ex, so they had obviously dated and broken up. Was it a good break-up? A bad break up? A one-sided breakup? Was it a hateful split, or an amicable one?

Regina had so many questions, which she couldn't ask right now, but she made a mental note of them all to ask Emma later.

"So, did I miss the story?" Neal asked, making Emma and Regina frown.

"What story?"

"The proposal story." Neal said, as if it were obvious.

"Oh, we actually want to hear this." Mary Margaret chirped up, making it obvious that she had been eavesdropping the entire time. "Don't we, David?"

"What's that?" David asked, oblivious to what had been going on. He had been talking to August, so hadn't heard Neal's conversation with the engaged couple. But his loud voice got everyone's attention, meaning the remaining guests were now listening to what was going on.

"The proposal." Mary Margaret explained.

"Oh, yeah, we want to know how that happened." David said eagerly.

Regina looked to Emma, starting to panic slightly. They hadn't come up with a story about the proposal, which now seemed ridiculous.  _Of course_  they would want to know who proposed and how they did it, it was the first thing that people asked newly-engaged couples. She mentally cursed herself for not making something up in advance. She was always so organised, so prepared. This was just poor planning.

"So, aren't you going to tell us?" Mary Margaret said, the hopefulness in her voice making it clear that she wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Of course we are." Emma said, looking terrified. "But, Regina was the one who proposed, so I think it would be best if she told the story. Right, honey?"

She turned to Regina and smirked, but the brunette was far from amused. If looks could kill, Regina would have been committing a homicide right there. How dare Emma leave her high and dry like this? How dare she put Regina in this sticky situation that she had no idea how to get out of?

Regina had never imagined in her wildest dreams that she would  _ever_  propose to anyone, so she didn't have the smallest clue where to even begin.

"OK," Regina cleared her throat, trying to buy herself some time. "Well, Emma and I had talked about marriage," Regina said quietly, trying to think of a story. "So, one day, I just decided to ask her to marry me."

Regina looked at Emma, who went and sat on the arm of the couch. The blonde turned to face her with a look a curiosity on her face, clearly wondering what story Regina was going to make up. The brunette wanted nothing more than to hit the blonde in that moment, for putting her in this position in the first place. But, obviously, she had to restrain herself.

"So, on the morning of our first anniversary, I left an envelope on the pillow next to Emma. So that, when she woke up, she would open it and find a note that said:  _I didn't know I would love you yet. Go to the place that we first met._ We met in a conference room on the second floor of the Queen of Hearts publishing building, on the day of Emma's interview to work for me. So, that was the beginning of her treasure hunt. Emma got ready and went to that room, where I had left another envelope, with another clue. This one led her to  _Alessandro's_ , which is an Italian restaurant in New York. It was the first place I ever saw Emma outside of work. She was actually on a date that night, and was wearing this tight, red dress that she looked amazing in. She was sitting a few tables away from where I was having a meeting with a client. She looked so beautiful, I could barely keep my eyes off her the whole night, I'd never seen a woman so beautiful, but she only saw me when she was leaving. At this point, she still hated me, so when we made eye contact, she acted like she didn't even know me." Regina let out an awkward laugh. "But I always remembered that night."

Which wasn't a lie, because here she was, including it in her fictional story of how she proposed. She really had seen Emma on a date, and really had thought that she was beautiful. But, she had never properly admitted that to herself, until now. She had never thought twice about the fact that she had always remembered that night, that she could still picture Emma in that red dress. But now she found herself wondering if the fact that she  _did_  remember was significant in some way.

"So, Emma went to Alessandro's to get her next clue, which led her to a hotel a few blocks away, which had the same name as the hotel we stayed at in Connecticut the first time we went to a book fair together. It was called  _The Rosewood_. That book fair was the first time that Emma showed me her personality. See, the first few weeks that she worked for me, she was obedient to a fault, probably scared that I would fire her. But, that weekend, she was really herself. She told jokes, that I rolled my eyes at because I didn't want her knowing that I thought she was funny. And she said no to me for the first time. I asked her to get me a coffee in the middle of a speech by her favourite author, and she flat out refused, which was surprising, but I liked it. It showed that she wasn't a doormat."

Regina surprised herself that she was actually including real events in this 'proposal', but told herself that it was just to make it realistic and romantic.

"So, the clue at  _The Rosewood_  led Emma to the coffee vendor where we had our first fight. One morning, Emma had been in a rush on her way to work, so had bought my morning coffee from a cart on the corner of a New York City street. Usually, my coffee is bought at a cafe called _Bernadette's_ , which isn't cheap but is worth every penny. But this day, Emma went to a coffee vendor. Little did she know that I was across the road at the time, on my way to work, when I saw her. So, yes, we argued about that, right in the middle of the street." Regina let out a laugh at the memory at the same time as Emma did. They made eye contact and smiled at each other, before Regina cleared her throat to continue.

"So, there were a lot of different clues that led to a lot of different places. The last clue took Emma to the roof of our office building, which is one of Emma's favourite places. She always goes there if she's stressed or worried. I was up there waiting for her, with a lot of candles lit and  _All of Me_ by  _John Legend_  playing in the background. When she got there, I had a glass of wine poured for her." Regina made eye contact with Emma, intending to break it a moment later, but finding herself unable to. "Then, I told her how much I loved her, how there wasn't anybody else that I wanted to spend my life with, how she deserved someone so much better than me but I would do everything in my power to make her happy for the rest of my life. Then I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me."

Mary Margaret, Lily and Ruby all let out  _aw's,_  but Regina was watching Emma, who visibly swallowed as she finished her story. "And she obviously said yes."

"That's beautiful." Mary Margaret said, joining her hands together. "Those little clues? So romantic."

"I want to see a kiss." Ruby blurted out, cupping her hands around her mouth.

Emma finally looked away from Regina to glare at her friend, just as Ruby started chanting. "Kiss. Kiss. Kiss. Kiss. Kiss."

"Come on, we don't need to kiss." Emma dismissed with a shake of her head.

"Oh, go on, Emma." August said with a smirk. "Kiss your fiancee!"

Emma got pushed off the chair arm by her brother, causing her to stumble slightly. The blonde swallowed and made her way sheepishly over to Regina, looking like a puppy who might get kicked at any moment. Regina just watched her, surprised that Emma was actually going to do this.

Once Emma was in front of her, she peered up into green eyes, which seemed to be asking for permission. She gave the smallest of nods and watched as Emma leaned down, getting closer and closer until...

She kissed Regina on the cheek and then pulled away, looking back at her family. "Happy?" Emma asked.

"On the lips!" Ruby called out.

"Guys, come on." Emma argued weakly, but was just met by more requests for her to kiss Regina. "Alright! Alright!"

Emma turned to Regina again, this time looking defeated. Regina decided to take the lead, because Emma seemed worried that she wasn't going to react well, and at least by taking the lead she was showing she was happy with it.

Well, not necessarily _happy_  with it, but that she had accepted it. Of course they would have to kiss, they were supposed to be engaged.

Regina cupped Emma's face with her hands, keeping her firmly in place as she tipped her head upwards and connected their lips. She had only intended for it to be a peck, but Emma's lips were surprisingly soft, so she found herself grazing her own lips over them again and again. After a moment, Emma started to respond, pushing into her so that their lips were connected with more pressure. Emma wrapped her arms around Regina's waist and pulled the brunette towards her so that their bodies were pressed together. Regina smiled into it and had the urge to bring her tongue into the mix, but then a cheer from Ruby reminded her of where she was and the fact that there was an audience.

Regina pulled away and looked at Emma, just in time to see the blonde opening her eyes. They looked at each other in shock for a moment, neither expecting to enjoy the kiss as much as they did. Emma licked her lips, causing Regina's eyes to dart down at the movement. She was tempted to kiss the blonde again, but caught herself before she did and turned away.

"Mom, are you  _crying_?" August said suddenly.

Regina looked at Mary Margaret, who was just wiping the tears from her cheeks with a smile. "I can't help it." The pixie-haired woman said. "I'm just so happy!"


	7. Chapter 7

By the end of the evening, Emma had had only one thing on her mind: take out.

Her stomach was growling, but the buffet food that had been sitting out all afternoon had to be the most unappealing thing in the world. So, she had spent all evening thinking about which type of food she should order in. Eventually, she had decided on pizza. You couldn't go wrong with pizza, right?

As soon as the last guest left, Emma was on the phone to the local pizza place, ordering three large pizzas for her family to share. She could probably wipe out a full one on her own, but, if she didn't, then she would be having cold, leftover pizza for her breakfast. In Emma's opinion, that was the best breakfast she could ask for.

The fact that Regina didn't complain about the junk food that she was having for dinner made Emma deduce that the brunette was exhausted. She looked drained, more drained than Emma had ever seen her, and she knew it was from the long day they had had. They had driven from New York to Storybrooke, been at the party all afternoon, revealed that they were engaged, _kissed?!_ And, on top of that, Regina had had to be introduced to half a town and come up with a fake proposal story.

It had been a _long_ day.

Emma took a bite of her last slice of pizza. A long piece of stringy cheese fell on her chin, bringing tomato sauce with it, which stuck to her skin. Emma frowned and slurped the string of cheese into her mouth, then used her tongue to try and clean off the red sauce. How did she always manage to make a mess when she ate?

She looked up and saw Regina sitting across the table, staring at her with a look of disgust. Emma found herself smirking as she said, "Problem, boss?"

"Yes. You have no table manners." Regina replied, folding her arms across her chest.

"I have table manners." Emma argued, wiping her hands on a napkin. She was _stuffed_.

"Actually, no you don't." August said as he walked into the kitchen, where Emma and Regina had been eating alone at the breakfast bar.

Mary Margaret, David and August had gone to eat in the dining room, to give the newly engaged couple some time alone. Little did they know that this had just led to the couple eating in an awkward silence, with nothing to say to one another. Neither wanted to mention the fact that they had kissed, or that it was a surprisingly good kiss, at that. One of those unforgettable ones, that makes your heart flutter.

Emma didn't know why she had felt that way when she kissed her boss, and she didn't know if Regina had felt the same. Maybe it was just the shock of kissing the woman that she had least expected to kiss in her life. But shock didn't usually create a warm, fuzzy feeling in her chest.

"Are you staying here at the cabin for the next few days as well?" Emma asked August, removing any thoughts of the kiss from her mind.

"Yeah. I gotta spend as much time as possible with my baby sister before she goes back to The Big Apple." August ruffled Emma's hair on his way past, causing Emma to scowl.

"I'm not your 'baby sister'. I'm 28-years-old."

"More like an 8-year-old trapped in a 28-year-old's body." Regina commented with a smirk.

August turned around from where he had been rinsing his plate at the sink. "I like you already." He said to Regina, which made the brunette smile and look away.

Emma suspected that not many people said that to Regina, if the fact that everyone in their workplace hated the brunette was anything to go by. That was probably why the brunette had a sweet smile on her face and a slight blush to her cheeks, the sight of her suddenly bashful boss making Emma smile to herself.

"Is this what things are gonna be like now? You two ganging up on me?" Emma asked with a small pout.

"Probably." August and Regina admitted at the same time.

"Whatever." Emma grumbled, closing the pizza box and sliding it away from her and Regina. "But I'm glad that you're going to be staying here too. It's going to be like when we were kids and we came here every summer."

"Yeah, except now you have a fiancée." August said. "You're all grown up... well, at least on the outside. Mentally, you're still that six-year-old who knocked her front teeth out by trying to slide down the stairs on a snow sledge."

Emma ignored Regina's snort and August's smirk. If they were teaming up on her, then this was going to get really old, really fast. " _Anyway_ , can we go swimming in the lake one day?"

"I don't see why not." August confirmed.

"And bike riding."

"Sure."

"Oh! And hiking on that trail near the beach."

"Whatever you want."

"We could even get those old canoes out of the garage."

"Emma," Regina interrupted with a frown. "I thought I was coming for a nice, quiet week in your hometown, not on an adventure weekend."

Emma's shoulders slumped slightly. "I just want to have fun while I'm here. You can't do any of these things in the city."

"And we _will_ have fun," August said, leaning against the counter. "But you're only here for four days, _and_ it's mom and dad's anniversary."

Emma deflated and rested her chin on her hand, looking fed up. She just wanted to do all the things that she had done when she was a kid and would come to the cabin for summer. Back then, they had done everything from rock pool fishing, to sailing. From flying kites, to camping in their own back yard. And they had had the best time doing it, too.

But August and Regina were right: they didn't have that long, and none of those activities were really Regina's thing.

"Hey," Regina's voice was soft as she put her hand on top of Emma's. "We'll fit in as many fun things for you as possible, then what we don't have time for, we can come back in a few months, maybe even weeks, to do them."

Emma wanted to scoff and say _'we?'_ , but knew that she couldn't in front of August. She knew that Regina was just being nice to her because it was part of the act, but it still felt strange.

"If we don't have time to go canoeing this week, at least it'll give you an excuse to come back." August said, trying to cheer Emma up.

"Seeing my family is the only excuse I need."

"Then why have we barely seen you for the past two years?"

Emma looked at Regina in that moment. She could hardly say the truth: _Regina makes me work too hard and wouldn't let me have enough days off to make a trip_. So, instead she just had to lift a shoulder and say, "You know how it is."

"Hm." August nodded, seeming to reluctantly accept that vague answer. "Well, yeah, we'll do some cool activities this week. You can always come back again soon and do the rest."

"Ok." Emma nodded her head, just as Mary Margaret and David came into the kitchen.

Mary Margaret looked at Emma and Regina and then smiled. "How sweet." She said, more to herself than to anyone else, then busied herself with putting the pizza boxes in the trash.

Emma frowned, not knowing what had caused that comment, but then she felt Regina pull her hand away. She had forgotten that Regina's hand had been on top of hers, and it was only the movement of the brunette removing it that had reminded her it was there. As cliche as it sounded, Emma instantly missed the warmth that Regina's hand had been providing, and her hand felt cold now that Regina had pulled hers away.

Emma put her lonely hand in her lap, trying to hide her disappointment that Regina had let it go. When she looked at Regina, the brunette was playing with her fingers and refusing to make eye contact with her. Was she actually embarrassed about touching her?

"So, ladies, we were thinking about going to Granny's for breakfast tomorrow morning. Are you two going to come?" Mary Margaret asking, turning to Emma and Regina.

"I think I'd prefer the leftover pizza." Emma answered.

"You are _not_ having leftover pizza for _breakfast_ , Emma. You're an adult, not a teenager." Mary Margaret said. "We're going to Granny's. Be ready by 9 o'clock."

 _"Nine o'clock_?" Emma echoed, outraged. "I was planning on sleeping until at least eleven. I'm exhausted."

"Then you better get to bed so that you can have a good night's sleep." Mary Margaret supplied with a shrug.

Emma rolled her eyes, but stood up. "We still need to get our bags out of the bug." She reminded Regina, who nodded and got to her feet too. "Dad, August, will you give us a hand?"

The two men nodded and made their way outside, with Emma and Regina following them. Emma unlocked her car and then started pulling out their belongings. She started with Regina's duffel, which she gave to the older woman. Regina took it and stepped to the side, waiting for Emma instead of going back into the cabin. Then, Emma took out one of Regina's suitcases, the larger one, and gave it to August. Her brother let out a grunt when he tried to move it, but then carried on without complaint, clearly trying to be the stereotypical tough guy. He acted like the ridiculously heavy suitcase weighed the same amount as a small dog, but the look of concentration on his face gave away the true weight of it.

David was given Emma's duffel, which was probably the lightest of the lot, which left Emma with Regina's other suitcase. She closed the trunk of the car and locked it, then tried to roll the suitcase towards the house. However, the gravel path made it impossible for it to be wheeled, so Emma groaned as she realised she would have to pick it up.

She shrugged off her leather jacket to make things easier, then held it out for Regina to take. Of course, the brunette rolled her eyes, as if Emma had just asked her to go to Mexico and back for her, but she took it anyway and waited for Emma.

Emma lifted up the suitcase, still surprised by how heavy it was. She didn't know what Regina had packed in there, but in her opinion, it was unnecessary. Nothing was worth the effort of having to carry this upstairs to Regina's room.

The blonde led the way, walking with awkward steps towards the house. She glanced back to see if Regina was following, and noticed the brunette was not looking at her face, but at her arms. She looked down at them, seeing them tense under the weight of the suitcase, then smiled to herself.

"See something you like?" She asked with a smirk.

Regina's eyes snapped up to meet hers, then the brunette blushed slightly. "I don't know what you're talking about, Ms. Swan."

"Sure you don't." Emma snorted. She wanted to tease Regina about the fact that she was staring at her arms, but she knew that Regina was tired so would probably have a short fuse. She filed it away under 'things to wind Regina up about at a later date', and carried on walking, up the steps and back into the cabin.

"I'll show you to your room." Mary Margaret said when they entered, then started walking upstairs.

Emma and Regina followed the pixie-haired woman up the stairs and onto a landing that led off in two directions. She pointed to the right and said. "Me and David are staying in the first room on the right. August is next door to us. But you two are down here." She walked to the left, past where David and August had left the the women's belonging, down to the end of the corridor, then opened the door and led the two women in. "This is the biggest guest bedroom we have."

Emma and Regina walked into the large room and looked around. The room was at the corner of the house, so it had a large window on one wall, and a glass door on another that led to a balcony. A Queen-sized bed was in the room, with the head of it against one wall, and a chaise at the other end. Next to it on either side were bedside tables. There was a bookshelf, with two comfortable-looking chairs in front of it, and a large dresser pressed against one of the walls.

On the other wall were two doors. One of them was slightly ajar, so it could be seen that it led to an en suite. The other door was closed, so it could only be assumed that it led to a linen closet.

"So, what do you think?" Mary Margaret asked,

"Wow, Mrs. Nolan, this is magnificent." Regina said politely, walking further into the room.

"I'm glad you like it." Mary Margaret said with a grin. "The room that Emma used to stay in when she was younger is hardly acceptable. It still has yellow walls and posters for boy bands." She chuckled slightly.

" _Rock_ bands." Emma corrected.

"Honey, even _I_ know that NSYNC isn't a rock band."

Emma didn't even need to look at Regina to know that she had an obnoxious smirk on her face. She had to admit, she preferred it when the brunette hadn't known anything about her or her life outside of work. Now, she felt like she was constantly being judged by Regina, and not in a good way.

"So, where will _I_ be staying?" Emma asked.

She knew that engaged couples would be expected to stay in the same room, but she hoped that her parents would be prudes who didn't want their daughter to share a bed with her fiancée for fear that things would get heated.

Or, even if Mary Margaret _had_ planned on letting them share a room, then Emma hoped that by assuming she wouldn't be staying with Regina, her mother would see that she was fine not sharing a room with her fiancée, and that would make Mary Margaret change her mind. Or it may even show that Emma thought it would be inappropriate to sleep in the same bed as Regina whilst the same house as her parents, and then her mother would lead her to another guest bedroom.

Unfortunately, she had no such luck. "I'm not under any illusion, honey." Mary Margaret said. "I know that you two probably share a bed all the time, so you'll be staying in here, with Regina."

Emma forced a smile, even though her heart was dropping. Sharing a room with Regina had to be the worst part of this trip. It was just going to be awkward and uncomfortable for them both. "Are you sure, mom? I'd understand if you wanted me to go in a separate room."

Mary Margaret dismissed the idea with a wave of her hand. "Nonsense. You're a responsible adult, Emma. I trust you."

Emma looked at Regina, who had the same angry look in her eyes that she got whenever she was about to start yelling at an employee. Emma swallowed, suddenly fearful that Regina wouldn't be able contain her frustration at this new development.

"Thanks, mom. I think we're going to get ready for bed now."

* * *

Regina could hear Emma and August walking towards the bedroom, then a second later they appeared in the doorway. Emma was holding her duffel, which David had carried upstairs, and August was dragging Regina's other suitcase.

So, this was actually happening. She was sharing a room with Emma Swan. See, this is why they had agreed that they would stay in a hotel: so they could get some space from each other and avoid painfully awkward situations.

Emma was her assistant. It should be a universal law that you could _not_ share a bed, or even a room, with your assistant. They had been on weekends away to book fairs before, and always stayed in separate hotel rooms, even though they could have saved a lot of money by sharing. But that was just them. Regina and Emma didn't have a close relationship, or even a minutely friendly relationship. It was strictly professional and, if anything, cold.

And that was how Regina liked it.

So, she was fiercely unhappy with the fact that Emma was currently putting her bag in the same room that August was putting _her_ suitcase. Emma offered her an apologetic smile, which just made her even more livid, but she had to keep her face neutral while August was in the room.

"So," August rubbed his hands together after he had put the suitcase down. "Do you two want to come watch a movie downstairs, or...?"

"I don't know about Regina, but I'm just going to bed. I'm exhausted." Emma stretched, as if accentuating her point, then turned to Regina.

"No, thank you. I'm just going to get some sleep." Regina smiled, grateful for the offer, but perched on the edge of the bed.

"Alright. Then, goodnight. See you in the morning." The two women wished August a good night, then the man retreated from the room.

Emma walked him out, then closed the door behind him. As soon as it was shut, she leaned against it and released a long breath. Regina just watched from the bed, feeling the same state of discomfort that she had been in all day.

"We survived the first day." Emma said quietly, clearly being careful that no one would overhear her. "They're buying it."

Regina smiled slightly. Yes, it appeared they were. This week would be over in no time, Regina would get her fiancée visa, sort out her proper visa, then 'break up' with Emma and be done with this whole experience. The thought of this ordeal ending brought a bigger smile to Regina's face.

"I'm sorry about the B&B." Emma said, moving away from the door. "That we have to share a room now. You shouldn't - _we_ shouldn't - have to do this."

"It isn't your fault." Regina dismissed, lifting a shoulder. "You tried to get out of it. Thank you for that, by the way. But, there's nothing we can do, so we'll just have to get on with it."

Emma looked surprised at what Regina had said. "I think this is the first time I've heard you _accept_ something that isn't going your way."

Regina rolled her eyes. "What would you prefer I do? Complain about something we can't change? Demand that we stay in separate rooms and give away the fact that our whole relationship is a lie in the process? No, I pick my battles, Ms. Swan. Although it may feel like we've lost right now, in the grand scheme of things, we'll be the winners. I'll get to keep my job, and you'll be promoted to editor and get your manuscript published. Everyone's happy."

Emma looked at her carefully for a minute. "I wasn't trying to insult you, you know?"

"What?"

"You're getting all defensive." Emma told her. "But I don't understand why. I wasn't trying to say something negative about you. In fact, if anything, it's positive. It's good that you're just accepting that this is another obstacle we'll have to overcome, and you're taking it in your stride. I'm glad that you're reacting like this."

The dynamics of Emma and Regina's relationship meant that they didn't usually share a room. It also meant that they didn't usually compliment each other. It seemed that yet another thing was changing between them, and Regina didn't know if she liked it. She didn't know how to respond to what Emma had said, so she chose to ignore it.

"You're sleeping on the floor."

"What?" Emma looked at her in surprise.

"You're sleeping on the floor." Regina repeated. "I'm not sharing a bed with you."

"So why does that mean _I'm_ on the floor?"

"Because I'm your boss, and I'm telling you that you're sleeping on the floor." Regina said, as if it were obvious.

"Regina, do I need to remind you that I don't _need_ to be doing this? I could just tell my parents and Sydney that this is a lie, and you'll be on the first flight back to Canada."

Regina smirked. "Go ahead. And enjoy the next five years in jail. Emma, you've already lied to the immigration officer, which means you'll be punished if it comes to light that this engagement is fake." Emma's face dropped, which made Regina smile wickedly. "So, the choice is yours, dear. Would you like to tell your parents that we're not really a couple, and go to jail; or would you like to make your bed on the floor?"

Emma looked like she wanted to murder Regina, but instead, she just grit her teeth and spat, "Fine. I'll sleep on the floor. But I'm using the bathroom first."

Without another word, Emma grabbed a towel from the linen closet and stormed into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her. Regina let out a little laugh and stood up. She didn't know whether she should be amused that Emma had thought that she had the power here, when she should know by know that Regina was the dominant one in their relationship. It was Regina who called the shots, always.

Regina walked over to her bags and opened the one that she had put her nightwear in. She pulled out the clothes that she would wear tonight, and then took a towel from the linen closet, before making her way back to the bed to wait for the bathroom. She could hear the running water of Emma in the shower, and hoped the blonde wouldn't take too long. Although it was only 9pm, she was unbelievably tired from the day she'd had.

It seemed crazy that, this time last week, Regina had thought she had a secure status in the US. But now, here she was, with her visa in jeopardy. This time last week, Emma was just her attractive assistant with a tendency to be annoying at times. But now, she was her fake fiancee, helping her stay in the country.

Things could change at an alarming pace at times, and Regina was struggling to keep up.

She heard the shower stop, then some shuffling around from behind the door. Finally, the door opened and Emma stepped out, with her hair dripping wet and a towel wrapped around her body.

Regina stood up and averted her gaze, telling herself that it was to give Emma privacy, but really it was because her eyes were being drawn to the blonde's pale skin, which had water droplets running down it. As she walked towards the bathroom, she tried not to look at Emma, but the blonde was a magnet to her eyes, and she couldn't stop herself. She had to watch as Emma picked up the hair dryer and bent down to plug it into the wall, revealing more of her long legs as she did. And she had to watch as Emma used a smaller towel to rub the ends of her wet hair, her face looking perfectly content as she was unaware she was being watched.

When green eyes looked up and met brown, Regina dipped her head and went into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She could feel her cheeks blushing at being caught staring, but reminded herself that, for all Emma knew, she could have just glanced at the blonde at the same time that the blonde glanced at her. It was a feeble attempt to alleviate her embarrassment, but it was the only thing that gave her the strength to strip down and turn on the shower.

She cleaned herself quickly, thinking about nothing but the queen sized bed that was awaiting her in the other room. She had washed her hair that morning, so she didn't need to tonight, something that she was infinitely grateful for now.

Once she was clean, she dried herself and put on her pyjamas, a simple grey silk set. She glanced in the mirror and saw her makeup-free face staring back. Her hair had gone wavier than usual from the heat of the shower, and her silk pyjama set had to be the least threatening clothes she owned. She suddenly felt extremely self-conscious, not wanting Emma to see her looking so...

So what? Natural? Plain? Casual? Unattractive?

_Defenceless._

That was the word that Regina settled on. After all, that was what she used her makeup and power suits for: armour. With her face painted, her hair perfect and wearing a good pair of a heels and a killer dress, she felt confident. She looked imposing and people were intimidated, either by how professional she looked, or how attractive she was, it was hard to tell sometimes. But still, her armour made her feel powerful, and Emma had only seen her with it on.

But now she had to step out there without it, and it made her feel vulnerable. She always acted like she was much more superior to Emma, but now the blonde was going to see her for what she was: an ordinary woman, with flaws and imperfections like everybody else. She didn't know whether she was ready.

But she was also too tired to hide out in the bathroom and wait for Emma to go to sleep. Chances were, Emma would be waiting for her anyway, and would call to her if she was in the bathroom for much longer. So, she forced herself to open the door and peak out.

Emma had made a makeshift bed on the floor at the foot of the bed, using some blankets from the linen closet and one of the pillows from the bed. She was currently sitting on her construction with her back to Regina, doing something that Regina couldn't see from where she was. Regina did notice that Emma's hair was now dry and she was wearing a tank top and some shorts. To get to her bed, Regina would have to walk right past Emma, which meant the blonde would see her without a shadow of a doubt.

She huffed and looked around, her eyes falling on the light switch by the door to the room. She could probably make it there without Emma seeing her, then she could turn off the lights and rush to the bed, in the safety of the darkness.

_Yes, good plan._

Regina clung to the wall as she made her way across the room, happy that Emma was too preoccupied to look up at her. She made it to the light switch and hit it off, wasting no time in darting to the bed.

She made sure that she didn't run, knowing that Emma would be suspicious if she did, so she just walked as fast as would usually be deemed socially acceptable. As soon as she was at the bed, she was under the covers in record timing, with her face pointed towards the windows so Emma couldn't see her.

"Regina, what the hell?" Emma said, causing Regina to wince.

She heard Emma shifting, then a bang, then a curse word muttered under the blonde's breath, then the lamp in the corner of the room was turned on. The lamp was dimmer than the main light, which Regina was thankful for, but it would still be clear to the blonde that Regina had no makeup and her hair was messy and she looked a lot less polished than usual. That's why she continued to face the glass down, where Emma couldn't see her face.

"Why did you turn off the light? I was doing something." Emma asked, confusion evident in her voice.

"Sorry. I just thought we were going to sleep." Regina said weakly, hoping Emma would drop the issue. She couldn't see Emma's facial expressions, but she knew she was probably frowning.

"What's wrong with you?" Emma asked with slight concern, but mostly confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"You're being... weird."

"I'm just tired." Regina dismissed. It wasn't exactly a lie, but it wasn't exactly the truth, either. But telling Emma that she felt insecure would make her seem pathetic, so she would keep that to herself.

 _"Emma! Honey! Can you come here for a second?"_ Mary Margaret's voice called from downstairs, making Emma huff.

"I'll be back in a minute." Emma muttered, then left the room.

As soon as Emma's footsteps had retreated down the stairs, Regina sat up. Her curiosity was eating away at her, and she just had to know what Emma had been doing before she walked in.

Regina crawled down the bed and peered at Emma's pile of sheets for any sign of what the blonde had been so preoccupied with. She noticed immediately the photo album lying open on the blanket, and leaned down to get a closer look.

She turned the album around so that it wasn't upside-down, and looked at the eight pictures that were on the double page. Emma was in six of the pictures, the other two were of Mary Margaret and David. The Emma in the pictures was a lot younger than the Emma downstairs; at least ten years younger. The same cabin that Regina was currently in was in some of the pictures, either in the background, or taken from rooms that had been redecorated now, but were still unmistakable as rooms from the cabin.

Emma was smiling in all of the pictures that she was in. One was just her and August, standing in front of a lake. Another, taken in the same place, featured Emma and August in the same clothes as the first (probably the same day), but they were dirty this time. The next was Emma and August, again on seemingly the same day, but now they were wet, presumably from the lake, and August was hugging a girl and kissing her cheek. Maybe that was an ex-girlfriend.

On the other pictures, Regina was surprised to see that Emma was with Neal in them. She didn't know why she was surprised, she had already known that Neal was Emma's ex, but it was still strange seeing them together.

On one of the pictures, they were dressed up, Emma in a dress and Neal in a suit. Maybe they were going to a party. But their smiles were clearly forced for the picture. The next picture, they were sitting near a campfire. Both huddled close together for the picture, marshmallows on the end of sticks in both of their hands. It looked cosy.

But the last picture was the one that Regina couldn't stop looking at. Emma and Neal were on a boat, Emma sitting in Neal's lap while Neal had his arms wrapped around her waist. It was a candid shot, both clearly unaware of the camera. Emma was looking at Neal with a huge smile on her face, and he was looking at her like she had hung the moon. There was so much love in their eyes, so much happiness in their smiles, that Regina's heart sunk. She didn't know why. Maybe it was because she had never experienced love like that, and it made her sad because she had wanted it for so long. But seeing Emma's smiling face while she looked at Neal like he was her world, made Regina swallow past the lump that had formed in her throat.

It was the sound of footsteps on the stairs that made Regina turn the book back around and get back under the covers. She had just about settled down when the door was pushed open and Emma walked back in. Regina laid with her face to the window again, so she just had to listen to the sounds that the blonde was making.

"Alright, you ready to go to bed?" Emma asked as she walked over to her blankets.

"Yes."

She heard Emma close the photo album, then walk towards the book shelf. She heard the photo album be put back on a shelf, then Emma walk around again. She didn't know what the blonde was doing until the lamp was turned off, then she smiled in relief that Emma hadn't seen her in her vulnerable state.

She listened to the shuffling of Emma going back to her bed, then more shuffling as the blonde got comfortable, then the room descended into silence. Regina tried to relax, but she still felt tense for some reason. Eventually, she forced herself to close her eyes, seeing the picture of Emma and Neal on the boat on the back of her eyelids.

* * *

Emma had been so tired that she thought she would have fallen asleep instantly.

But no, she was still lying awake. She had so many thoughts whirling around her mind that she didn't know how to turn off, and they were preventing her from getting any sleep.

The thoughts revolved around Regina. Regina and her surprisingly sweet fake proposal story. Regina and her surprisingly soft lips. Regina and her surprisingly amazing kissing skills. Regina and the way she had looked at her when she was wearing nothing but a towel. Regina and her odd behaviour before they had gone to sleep.

_Regina. Regina. Regina._

The woman who refused to leave Emma's mind was currently lying a few feet away, in the large bed. Emma wondered if the brunette's mind was working overtime too, but she had been still for a while now, as if she were asleep, so she assumed not.

But the proposal story wouldn't leave Emma's mind. The way that Regina had included events that Emma thought she would have forgotten about long ago. Like the first time they saw each other out of work, in the restaurant when Emma had been on a date. Emma had barely remembered that day, and when Regina had mentioned it, it had rushed back to her like a gust of wind.

She remembered leaving the restaurant, walking behind a guy whose name she couldn't even remember now (that's how forgettable this date was. Really dull, boring and just generic), but then she had seen Regina, sitting on a table by the door. She had made eye contact with her and felt her cheeks heat up immediately. Her boss was here, in the same place that she had just had the world's most boring date, and Emma was wearing a dress that even she had to admit was a little slutty. She had looked away, hoping that Regina wouldn't recognise her, but she knew that she had.

They had never mentioned that day in person, so Emma had let it leave her mind. But Regina remembered it, even remembered the colour of her dress, and had thought she looked beautiful. Or had she? Was that just part of this act?

Emma sighed, annoyed that it was impossible to read what actions were genuine and which were made up. It was probable that every compliment, every smile, every touch on Regina's part was a charade. But there was still a part of Emma that wondered if some of the smiles and compliments were real.

After all, Regina had remembered that day at the restaurant, and the weekend of their first book fair, and the day of their first fight. That had to mean something, right?

At that moment, Emma heard movement from the bed. Just Regina shifting, maybe rolling over. Then she heard the brunette clear her throat, which made her raise her eyebrows. She was awake too?

"Regina?"

There was a moment of silence, and then, "Yes?"

Emma frowned. She hadn't thought this through. She didn't have anything to say to Regina, she had just wanted to check if she was awake. "Is everything OK?"

There was another moment of silence, then Regina sighed. "Ms. Swan, it's one o'clock in the morning. Hardly an appropriate time for small talk."

"No, I'm not making small talk." Emma informed her. "It's just, you're still awake, so I was wondering if everything is OK."

"You're awake too, is there something wrong with _you_?" Regina said with slight defensiveness.

Emma thought: _Yes. I can't get you and your actions off my mind._ But she said: "Of course there is, I'm lying on the floor." Regina chuckled darkly at that, which made Emma smile slightly. Despite the smile on her face, she said, "Sadist."

Regina chuckled again. "Alright, I'll accept that."

"That's not a good thing."

"I know."

Emma just shrugged, even though the brunette couldn't see her from her position at the foot of the bed and the darkness in the room. She didn't know what it was that made her ask her next question; maybe it was her tiredness, or maybe it was how nice Regina had been being to her, but she asked it nonetheless. "How'd you remember all that stuff in your 'proposal'?"

Again, a moment of silence, probably where Regina was trying to decide how to react. "What do you mean?"

"You remember the day we saw each other in that restaurant; the first time we argued over your coffee; hell, you even knew that my favourite place to de-stress is the roof of our office building, and I know for a fact that I've never told you that."

Regina sighed and shifted on the bed, so Emma waited patiently for a response. "As far as the restaurant and the argument are concerned, when I was put on the spot to come up with a proposal, I just combed back through my memory to the beginning of when you started working for me, and those are what came to mind. How I remember them? I don't know, I'm not a psychologist. As for the fact that you love the roof..."

Regina trailed off, so Emma stayed silent and waited. But this time, Regina didn't speak again, causing Emma to frown. "Was that story over?"

Another sigh and some more shifting came from the bed. "I just know. I don't know how I know, I just do. It's where you go at the end of a long day, or when I've been particularly bitchy. It's where you go when you're in a bad mood, or if someone is annoying you. Usually me." Emma let out a little laugh at that self-deprecating comment.

"So, you've just observed me and made an educated guess?" Emma concluded.

"I guess so. It wasn't a conscious thing. I didn't even know that I knew until today."

"I guess we're learning a lot about ourselves today, as well as each other."

"How insightful of you."

Emma rolled her eyes, but was still smiling slightly. "If you ever propose to someone like that, then I think it'd be hard for them to say no to. It was sweet."

"Then I suppose it's a good job that I don't plan on proposing to anyone anytime soon."

Emma didn't know what to say to that. She could ask why, but Regina wasn't exactly a sharing person, so she decided to leave it. Instead, she changed the subject. "I never ever thought that I would ever kiss you, by the way. Well, I guess it would be more accurate to say that I never thought _you'd_ kiss _me_."

"It's not like either of us had much of a choice."

"True." Emma allowed. "But the kiss was..." How should she finish that? Good? Great? Romantic? Mind-blowing? Sweet?

"Emma?"

"Yes?"

"Can we never speak about the kiss? Ever?" Regina asked, making Emma frown.

"Why?" Other than the obvious: that it was an awkward topic.

"Because you're my assistant." Regina said, as if it were obvious. "It's unprofessional for us to have a relationship like that."

"And it's not unprofessional for us to pretend to be engaged?" Emma asked with a quirked eyebrow, even though Regina couldn't see her.

"That's a necessary evil. As was the kiss. But talking about the kiss is certainly not necessary."

Emma smiled to herself as she said her next words, "All I was going to say is that it was a great kiss. You're a good kisser. I can't wait until our next 'necessary evil'." She was only saying it as a joke, but even as she said the words she knew there was an element of truth to them.

She expected Regina to snap at her, but instead she was greeted only by silence. Eventually, she frowned and said, "Regina?"

"Goodnight, Ms. Swan."

Emma laughed to herself, liking Regina's way out of answering what she had just said. "Goodnight, Regina."


	8. Chapter 8

When Regina awoke, she was fully aware that she was in a foreign place. She experienced that moment of disorientation, where she didn't know where she was or why she was there. But then memories filtered back to her, of the possible deportation, the fake engagement, and the fact that she was now in Storybrooke trying to convince her 'fiancee's' parents that their relationship was real.

_Oh God._

Which meant that the soft snoring sound coming from the floor at the foot of the bed was coming from Emma, her assistant.

_Oh God._

And she still had another four days of pretending to be engaged to the blonde, before she could return to her life in New York.

_Oh God._

She rubbed her face with her hand tiredly, suddenly in a bad mood. This was all just too much: too much pressure, too much effort, too much of a long shot. How could she ever have thought that this was a good idea?

Though, to be fair, it was working so far. Emma's family were believing them, which meant that she was going to be able to stay in the country. Well, as long as they managed to keep up the charade. Regina was one of the most pessimistic people in existence, but she told herself to have a positive attitude; a _can-do_  attitude, and then maybe they would get away with this.

She sighed and forced herself to look at the clock, which read _6:00am_. She could sleep for at least another hour, possibly two, but she knew already that that wasn't going to happen. She was restless now, too nervous and uncomfortable to relax fully. So, instead, she got out of bed and began to get ready.

While choosing her outfit, she kept in mind the fact that people in Storybrooke weren't all that fancy. They didn't dress up, and instead settled for casual clothes. Regina had stuck out like a sore thumb in her designer dress yesterday, so today she was determined to fit in, to be one of them.

That's why she chose her black skinny jeans, which still had the tag on them, and a dark red silk shirt. She debated putting on a blue blazer with it, but the outfit looked more casual without it, so she decided to leave it for now.

She showered, applied her makeup, did her hair, put on her clothes, then went back into the bedroom. Emma was still sleeping like a log, which didn't surprise her. But now the blonde had stopped snoring, and was making a strange wheezing sound that was somehow cute and annoying at the same time.

Regina watched Emma in amusement for a few moments. The blonde had pushed the blankets to the side in her sleep, so that they were no longer covering her. Now she was cuddling the bunched-up sheets like they were a person, which was kind of sweet and kind of weird. One of her legs was on full display for Regina to see, the skin fully exposed due to the shorts she was wearing. Regina allowed her eyes to run down the leg appreciatively, then realised what she was doing and looked away.

Luckily, her phone rang, meaning that there was no risk of her getting distracted by Emma again. Unfortunately, the sound of the phone ringing began to stir Emma back to consciousness, which wasn't what Regina had wanted. She walked over to her handbag and searched for her phone, quickly answering it before it had time to ring out.

"Hello?"

" _Oh, hey, sis. Long time no see._ "

Regina closed her eyes at the sound of the familiar voice, regretting that she hadn't checked caller ID. She  _definitely_  wouldn't have answered if she had known her sister was on the line. "Zelena." She said dryly.

Regina didn't get along with Zelena _at all_. The red-head was spoiled and obnoxious, and rubbed Regina the wrong way every time they spoke. Luckily for Regina, they rarely talked, because Zelena hated her just as much as she hated Zelena. The fact that they rarely spoke just made this out-of-the-blue phone call even stranger.

" _Come on, Gina, you could at least sound_ a little _happy to hear from me._ " Zelena said, in a voice that feigned offence.

"But I'm not even  _a little_  happy to hear from you." Regina retorted bluntly. No reason to beat around the bush.

" _You wound me_." Zelena said sarcastically.  _"Anyway, how's my little sister_?"

"Fine." Regina spat.

"Regina? What are you doing?" Emma's sleepy voice sounded, causing Regina to turn around.

"I'm on the phone."

"It's 6:45, be on the phone somewhere else." Emma huffed, rolling over and closing her eyes, clearly going back to sleep.

" _Who was that?_ " Zelena asked, causing Regina to roll her eyes.

"That's none of your concern."

Regina decided to do what Emma had said and take the phone call elsewhere. She left their bedroom, ( _their_  bedroom. That was something Regina never thought she'd say), and quietly descended the stairs. She went to the back of the house and stepped out onto the wooden deck that overlooked the back garden. The views from the cabin were amazing, and the view from the deck was no different.

"Enough of the small talk. To what do I owe this displeasure?" Regina asked.

She knew that Zelena wasn't just calling her to catch up and have a good old chinwag. She wanted something, and Regina intended to find out what it was.

" _I heard about your predicament. That you're facing deportation._ " Zelena said, a hint of smugness in her tone.

"How'd you hear about that?" Regina asked, suspecting she already knew the answer.

" _Oh, it's just something that a little birdie told me_."

"Would that 'little birdie' happen to be Mr. Gold?" Of course it was Mr. Gold. That man loved to stir things, and he'd always had a soft spot for Regina's sister.

" _You know me, I never reveal my sources._ " Zelena said, causing Regina to roll her eyes. They both knew it was Mr. Gold, so there was no reason for Zelena not to admit it. " _Apparently your job is in jeopardy._ "

Of course. It all boiled down to Regina's job. Ever since Regina was eighteen, their mother had wanted Regina to take over Queen of Hearts Publishing instead of Zelena. Giving the job to Regina had made more sense. She had a stronger work ethic, was more organised, was more responsible and reliable. On the other hand, Zelena was more of a free spirit. She was impulsive, and did her own thing. She was selfish, always putting her own wishes above everyone else's. She wasn't as trustworthy as Regina, which is why the job went to the brunette.

Obviously, Zelena, being the oldest, thought that she was entitled to the job though. She believed that she should inherit it, and was outraged when the honour had gone to Regina. She had been seething when Regina got the job, practically green with envy. As a sign of rebellion, Zelena had moved away from her family, to lead her own life away from them. Now, Regina hardly ever heard from her sister.

"You've been misinformed." Regina lied. "I'm not facing deportation, and my job is perfectly safe."

" _Oh yes, because of your 'fiancee_ '. Zelena said with a laugh. " _And I use that term loosely_."

"I don't know what you're talking about. " Another lie.

" _Cut the crap, sis. That girl that you're with... Ella?_ "

"Emma." Regina corrected.

" _Right._  Emma _. She's not your fiancee. You're just pretending that she is as a desperate attempt to stay in America._ "

"That's not true." Yet another lie from Regina.

_"Don't insult my intelligence, Regina. You want to keep your job at the fancy book publishing company, so you're doing whatever you can to avoid deportation. I know it, you know it, Mr. Gold knows it, and soon the immigration office will know it, because you won't get away with this. They'll find out that you're lying."_

"Actually,  _sis_ , they won't. All you want is for me to get fired so that you can have my job, and you need to accept the fact that that's _never_  going to happen. For all intents and purposes, I'm engaged to Emma. I have a plan, a plan that's going to work, so stop embarrassing yourself and Let. It. Go."

" _You need to get a reality check. You think pretending to be engaged to your assistant is a good plan? You're wrong."_

"We'll see about that." Regina said with a smirk.

" _Yes, we will._ "

"Is that all you called to say? Because I should probably get back to my fiancee." Regina was already tired of speaking to her sister. She had enough things to worry about, without the added stress of Zelena telling her that her plan wouldn't work.

There was a laugh from Zelena, before she said. " _Oh, I can't wait until this plan backfires and you're deported_."

"Goodbye, Zelena." Regina said through gritted teeth, then clicked the 'end call' button before her sister could reply.

It seemed like Zelena always popped up at the worst possible times. If Regina lost a high-profile client, Zelena would call, acting all smug about it to make Regina feel bad. If Regina published a manuscript that turned out to be a flop, then Zelena would call to brag. If Regina was spending Christmas alone because she wasn't close enough to anyone to get an invite to their place, then Zelena would call to let her know that  _she_  had been invite to join someone's celebrations.

And now, while Regina was at risk of being deported and was faking an engagement so that that didn't happen, Zelena had to call to tell her that it was a terrible plan and remind her that, if Regina got fired,  _she_  would be the one taking over her job.

God, Zelena was infuriating.

"You're up early."

Regina whirled around at the sound of a voice behind her, surprised that she hadn't heard anyone approach her. August was leaning against the door frame, his arms folded across his chest and an eyebrow raised as if he had caught her committing a crime.

"Yes, well, I've never been able to sleep in." Regina said with a casual shrug, hoping that Emma's brother hadn't heard her conversation with Zelena.

August smiled, and stepped out. "Yeah, me neither. Unlike Emma. She could sleep all day if you let her. But you'd already know that."

"Of course." Regina nodded. She was Emma's fiancee. Of course she knew that...

"Who was on the phone?" August asked.

Regina looked at the device in question. "Oh, just my sister."

"You have a sister?"

"Half-sister. We're not that close."

"Then why'd she call you?"

Regina began to worry about how much of her conversation August had heard. Had she said anything that would incriminate her and Emma? She desperately tried to replay her words in her mind, but she couldn't remember what she had said now. "We were just talking about Emma, actually." Regina said, trying to stay as close to the truth as possible. "Zelena's curious about who my fiancee is, and thinks it's a little odd that Emma is my assistant."

August remained still for a moment, but then nodded, seeming to accept her answer. "I was surprised when I heard that you were engaged to my sister." He admitted. "It just seemed weird, because she hadn't even mentioned that the two of you were dating until a couple of days before you came here."

"We agreed to keep it a secret." Regina said, her heart racing in her chest. Was he on to them?

"I get that, but Emma didn't seem all that fond of you a few months ago. When she first started working for you, she was always calling to tell us what a bitch her new boss was."

"You know what they say: there's a fine line between love and hate."

August shrugged. "It's not really any of my business, anyway. I was just thought it was weird."

At that moment, the door to the deck opened and Emma appeared, wearing the tank top that she had been sleeping in, but she had put on some sweat pants instead of her shorts. She had her hair pulled back into a messy ponytail, and her eyes were half-closed in a sleepy way. Regina had to wonder how Emma managed to look attractive after just waking up. She rocked the scruffy, lazy look.

"Hey, babe." Emma smiled, walking to Regina and kissing her cheek. Regina hated the fact that her first thought was: _if that was an inch to the left, it would have been on my lips._

"Good morning, dear."

Emma looked at her brother, making it clear to Regina that the act of intimacy had been for his benefit. "What are you two talking about?" She said, draping her arm across Regina's shoulders. Regina leaned into the touch and wrapped an arm around Emma's waist. It had been so long since Regina had been treated like this, and treated someone like this. It was surprisingly nice.

"We were just talking about how great it is that you two are together." August said, which wasn't exactly true. "You two make a cute couple."

Emma smiled at that and turned to look at Regina. She then kissed the brunette's temple and wrapped her other arm around her, so that she was hugging her from the side. Regina didn't know what to do, so she just smiled at Emma and then looked back to August.

"I'll give you two some alone time." He said, then turned and went back into the cabin.

Emma remained hugging Regina for a couple more moments after her brother had gone, probably just making sure the coast was clear, then she awkwardly let go of the brunette and stepped back. "Everything OK?"

Regina considered telling Emma about the strange tone that August had just taken when he was talking to her. He seemed to suspect that something was off with them, but he hadn't said so in so many words. Regina was going to tell Emma, but then she thought that there was no reason to worry the blonde. August hadn't even made it clear if he did think that they weren't really a couple, just that the fact that they were was strange.

So, she decided to keep that to herself so that Emma could enjoy her time with her family without worrying.

"Everything's fine." Regina forced a smile. "You should get ready for breakfast. Don't want to be late."

Emma frowned, maybe sensing that something was wrong, but then nodded. "Yeah, let's go."

* * *

While the group walked down Main Street to Granny's, Emma and Regina let themselves drop behind Emma's family. They walked side-by-side, so close that their hands kept on accidentally brushing. Emma didn't know whether or not they were walking so close to each other for the charade, or just by accident, but she kind of liked it.

She was getting that feeling that you get when you start to like someone, where every time you touch them, your heart rate speeds up and your skin tingles. Emma had to keep on reminding herself that she didn't actually  _like_  Regina, and that this was an act.

She blamed the fact that she was pretending to be engaged to her boss as the reason that she was getting these strange feelings. It was messing with her head, blurring lines, and just putting her in a crazy situation. If she weren't faking this engagement to Regina, then she would never have held the brunette's hand, or kissed her, so it would be impossible for her to like the feeling.

You can't miss what you never had.

But now she found herself wanting to kiss Regina again, to see if the second time would be as good as the first. She found herself wanting to hold Regina's hand and wrap her arm around her, all those couple-y things that couples did. Emma liked that intimacy with people, but it had been far too long since she had anyone to do it with. This fake engagement gave her the perfect excuse to do those things, but she didn't know whether Regina would be comfortable with that.

Speaking of which...

"We should discuss PDA." Emma said, stuffing her hands into her pockets. They were far enough behind David, Mary Margaret and August that the trio couldn't hear them, so there wasn't a problem with discussing the charade.

"We should discuss _what_?" Regina asked.

"PDA. Public displays of affection. You know, like, holding hands, hugging, kissing..." Emma explained. "We're a couple, and couples are affectionate, but I don't want to do anything that will make you uncomfortable. So, you should tell me what you're comfortable with."

Regina bit her lip while she thought. "I suppose holding hands is fine." She began. "And I don't see a problem with hugging."

"Can I cuddle you?" Emma asked, causing Regina to quirk an eyebrow in amusement.

"I didn't have you pegged as a cuddler."

"Do you want people to believe that we're a couple, or not?"

Regina chuckled slightly. "Touchy. But yes, you may cuddle me."

Emma looked away, hoping that Regina didn't notice the way that her lips quirked upwards slightly. Cuddling an attractive woman would make anyone happy though, right?

"Obviously we can wrap our arms around each other." Regina said. "Either shoulders or waist. I've seen your parents doing it, so I suppose that's what couples do." Emma nodded her head, making note of that. "And... I guess, if we're to make people to believe this, then... we may have to... kiss, occasionally."

The last part was added quietly, almost as if Regina was embarrassed to say it, but it still made Emma smile. She was going to get to kiss Regina again, at some point, and that made her more excited than it should have.

"Noted." Emma said, trying to keep her voice neutral.

Regina cleared her throat. "Does that answer your question?"

"Yeah, it does." Emma confirmed with a smile.

They walked in silence for a moment, then Emma had the uncontrollable urge to do something. She reached out her hand and purposely brushed it against Regina's. When the brunette didn't move away, she slowly entwined their fingers so that they were holding hands, and rubbed her thumb against the top of Regina's hand. Regina didn't react, acting as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

Emma looked down at the brunette, seeing a slight blush gracing her cheeks. But it was too slight to know for sure if she was blushing because of their hands. Emma may have been mistaken. It could have just been the breeze giving Regina a flushed look.

Yes, that was more likely. The rest was just Emma's wishful thinking.

Regina looked up at her and they made eye contact. Emma expected Regina to look away again immediately, but instead, she smiled a real genuine smile. Emma returned it, trying to think of any time before that they had smiled at each other like this, with nothing but friendliness. She couldn't think of a single time, which just made this moment even more special. Their relationship was changing over these days. They were getting closer.

"Will you two hurry up?" Mary Margaret yelled, causing Emma and Regina to look ahead.

The rest of Emma's family was standing in front of Granny's diner, waiting to go in, but Emma and Regina were trailing too far behind. Emma laughed at the impatient looks the were receiving and began to walk faster, dragging Regina along by the hand.

* * *

Ruby sauntered over to the booth that they all sat in for breakfast, a pad of paper in one had and a pen in the other. Yet again, she was wearing a dangerously short skirt, but today it was covered by an apron.

Regina looked at her as she came over, unable to think of anything else but the fact that this woman had slept with Emma. She couldn't picture it. Emma and Ruby just seemed like friends, and didn't really gel as anything more. Well, that was Regina's opinion, but the fact that they had had sex stated otherwise. She wondered if, when Emma looked at Ruby, and vice versa, they both thought about that night. Both imagined what it was like to be naked together, to be intimate, to pleasure each other.

Regina closed her eyes and shook her head, trying to shake the thoughts away. Why did it even matter to her? Emma could sleep with whoever she wanted. It had nothing to do with her. Besides, it happened two years ago.

"Hey there." Ruby said as she reached the side of the table. "How is the Nolan-Booth-Swan..." She looked at Regina and paused with her mouth open, then looked to the side in thought.

"Mills..." Emma supplied.

"Right! Sorry." Ruby smiled apologetically at Regina. "How is the Nolan-Booth-Swan-Mills family today?"

"We're good." Mary Margaret said with a smile. "It's great to have our daughter back, and even better to have our soon-to-be daughter-in-law here." She gave a fond smile to Emma and Regina, which made them both feel a little guilty about the lie they were telling.

Emma and Regina were sitting across from August, David and Mary Margaret. It made it feel like the trio were the audience to Emma and Regina's show, seeing as most of their actions were faked for their benefit.

"Well, I'm glad that you're all happy. So, what can I get for you guys today?"

Mary Margaret, David and August gave their orders first, all of them ordering the same thing: waffles. Regina found it strange that they would all get the same thing, and wondered if it was the only thing that Granny did well. She began to worry that what she ordered was going to be terrible.

"What about you, babe?" Ruby asked, turning to Emma. Regina looked between the two women. Babe? What did that mean? "Wait, let me guess. Blueberry pancakes and a Coke?"

"You know me too well, Rubes. And I want a real stack of pancakes. Don't go easy on me." Emma grinned.

"Have I ever gone easy on you before?" Ruby asked with a quirked eyebrow. "I'll even get Granny to throw in some extra blueberries for you." Ruby said with a wink, jotting down Emma's order.

Regina found herself scowling at the exchange. Were they flirting? Or was she just reading way too far into this?

"And what can I get for you, Ms. Mills?" Ruby asked Regina.

"Avocado toast and sparkling water, please."

Ruby raised her eyebrows, but jotted down the order. Was she seriously judging Regina based on her breakfast order? When Regina turned back to the table, she noticed that the three people across from her were also giving her strange looks. In fact, the only person who wasn't surprised by her order was Emma, who was too busy tucking part of Ruby's shirt back into her skirt where it had fallen out.

"I'll go give your order to Granny. It should be ready shortly." Ruby said with a smile. She swatted Emma's hand away, causing the blonde to pout. Ruby laughed slightly, patted Emma's head, then walked away.

When Emma turned back to the table, she winced and began to run her neck. "Emma, what's wrong?" Mary Margaret asked with concern.

"Nothing. My neck's just a little sore from sleeping on the-"

 _If she says 'floor' I'm going to murder her._  Regina thought.  _She'll completely give us away._

Luckily, Emma caught herself just in time. Her eyes widened and she turned to Regina, who just glared at her.

"Sleeping on the what?" August asked with a frown.

"Bed." Emma finished, looking at her family innocently.

She received three frowns from her family, and an eye roll from Regina. "Was the bed not comfortable, honey?" Mary Margaret asked.

"It was perfect." Emma said, a little too high pitched. "I just slept in a weird position, and now my back is aching."

"Well, I'm sure Regina won't mind giving you a massage later." August said, giving Regina a look that she couldn't decipher.

"I like that idea." Emma grinned, then put her arm around Regina's shoulder, leaning into her. "Will you give me a massage when we get back to the cabin, babe?"

Regina looked at Emma with a sideways glance, not even bothering to try to look happy. She looked less than impressed as she gave a clearly insincere smile and said, "Whatever you want, dear."

Emma couldn't help but laugh slightly, knowing that Regina would rather die than massage her. She rested her forehead against the side of Regina's head as she laughed, then leaned back to look at Regina's face again, which still looked like she wanted to turn Emma to stone. "You're so cute." Emma said, then kissed her cheek.

Regina looked away, a small smile tugging at her lips. Did Emma mean that? Or was it just for the sake of her parents?

Emma let go of Regina and began to fiddle with the napkin on the table. "So, what are we going to do today?"

"Well, seeing as Regina's never been to Storybrooke, we thought we'd show her around and take her to some special places in town." David answered. "Then, tomorrow, we're going to the lake to go canoeing."

"Yes!" Emma grinned and hit the table excitedly. "I love canoeing."

"Do you like canoeing, sweetie?" Mary Margaret asked Regina.

Regina had never been, but she knew that she wouldn't. Though she couldn't exactly say that when everybody else looked so happy, so she forced herself to smile and said, "I've never been, but I'm sure I'll love it."

"Perfect." Mary Margaret grinned.

* * *

August carefully watched the couple sitting across from him. Emma was being her usual, happy self. She was telling jokes, asking her parents what they'd been up to recently, and would occasionally put her hand on top of Regina's, or stroke her arm.

Then there was Regina. Regina wasn't saying much, wasn't touching Emma at all, and didn't seem very comfortable.

August couldn't stop thinking about what he had overheard Regina say on the phone: _For all intents and purposes, I'm engaged to Emma. I have a plan, a plan that's going to work._

What did that mean? That Emma was just a part of a plan? Was Regina just using his sister? Or was Emma in on the plan to?

August didn't know what was going on, but he knew that something wasn't right. Something strange was happening with this couple, and he intended to find out exactly what it was.


	9. Chapter 9

Apparently, no trip to Storybrooke was complete without visiting the infamous clock tower. It was known for the fact that the time had been stuck at 8:15 for as long as anyone could remember, and the people who lived in the town seemed strangely proud of that.

So, the clock tower had been the first stop on the tour of the town. The group of five stood in front of it, while Mary Margaret told Regina why it was so special to the town.

Regina had been a little confused. She had asked why the clock hadn't been fixed as soon as it had broke, to which Mary Margaret said she didn't know. Then Regina had asked if it was useful in any way, seeing as the time was only correct twice a day, at 8:15. Mary Margaret had frowned and admitted that it wasn't useful, but it was a town landmark.

Regina hadn't known what to say. It was clear that Mary Margaret had expected her to be impressed, but she didn't know what she was supposed to be impressed about. It was a clock that didn't work. She'd seen a lot of those in her life, and never had she been expected to be amazed by them. All Regina could think to do was look at the clock and smile, rather unconvincingly, which was not the reaction Mary Margaret had wanted. The pixie-haired woman had clearly been disappointed by Regina's reaction, or lack thereof, and had swiftly moved on with the tour.

Which is why they then walked along Main Street, passing all of the shops and other businesses. There were a lot of charity shops, but Regina hadn't seen a single chain store. She had never heard of any of the shops, and it suddenly made sense that she had never seen anyone wearing designer clothes in Storybrooke. Where would they get them from?

Mary Margaret had stopped outside one particular shop, owned by one of her best friends, Kathryn. Apparently, it was her favourite shop, where she bought most of her clothes, and deserved to be a stop on the tour. That was why Emma and Regina got dragged into the clothes shop, while David and August went to sit on a bench nearby.

God, she wished she could go with them instead of browsing clothes with her 'mother-in-law'.

"Mary Margaret, it's good to see you. I wasn't expecting you today." A blonde woman behind the counter called, smiling at the three new (and only) customers.

"Yes, well, we were just passing by and thought we'd pop in for a look around. We're giving Regina a tour of Storybrooke."

"Oh? And how are you liking it so far?" The blonde, who looked vaguely familiar, turned to Regina.

"Storybrooke is a lovely town." Regina replied with a polite smile.

"Good. Well, I'll leave you three to look around."

Regina nodded and turned to look at the selection of clothes. A moment later, she felt Emma's presence next to her as she leaned in and whispered. "That's Kathryn. You met her yesterday." Emma must have sensed that Regina couldn't remember who the blonde was.

"I met a lot of people yesterday." Regina replied, looking at a grey dress that was actually something that she would wear. In fact, she already owned one that was almost identical.

She had known when she was being introduced to the long chain of people at the party that she wouldn't remember many of them. The fact that she hadn't remembered Kathryn just cemented this knowledge. She hoped that she wouldn't run in to many more people that she was supposed to know, or she would come across as rude when she didn't remember who they were.

"Emma!" Mary Margaret called from the other end of the shop. "You just  _have_  to look at this dress. It's gorgeous."

Emma gave Regina a look to show that she was less than impressed, then she walked away. Regina carried on browsing, seeing nothing else that she liked. There were a lot of summer dresses, frilly things with floral patterns that she wouldn't be caught dead in. Yet, she could picture Mary Margaret in most of the the clothes. In fact, she had already passed the exact same t-shirt that the pixie-haired woman was currently wearing.

It didn't take her long to cross the small shop, until she was in the same area as Emma and Mary Margaret. They were bickering over a dress that Mary Margaret thought Emma should try on, and Emma was adamant that she didn't want to. The dress was dark pink, with a low neckline and no sleeves. It was skin-tight and fell to the knee.

"I just think that you should try it on." Mary Margaret was saying. "There's no harm in that."

"I don't  _want_  to try it on." Emma insisted. "I'm not going to like it. Dressed just aren't my thing."

"You'll look lovely. And you need a dress for the party on Saturday night, for mine and David's anniversary."

"Fine, but not  _that_  dress." Emma said stubbornly.

"Regina, won't Emma look lovely in this dress?"

Regina turned around, looking between the dress that Mary Margaret was holding and her assistant. She had only ever seen Emma in a dress once, and it had been red and strapless and had made her look incredibly attractive. She couldn't picture Emma in a pink dress, but the fact that Emma was so desperate to not try it on made her want to mess with the blonde. "I think you should try it on, Emma." She said with a smirk.

Emma's mouth opened in shock, clearly having expected Regina to take her side. " _Regina_."

"Emma, it's two against one. You know where the changing rooms are." Mary Margaret said excitedly. She handed the dress to her daughter, then pointed her to a room at the back.

"But- You- Why-" Emma tried to argue, but couldn't form a coherent sentence. "Ugh!" Emma grabbed the dress and stormed into the changing room.

"She can be so stubborn at times, can't she?" Mary Margaret said in amusement.

Regina nodded her head. "She can."

Mary Margaret looked at Regina thoughtfully for a moment. "But you seem like a strong woman, too. I think you're a good match for her. You can keep her in check, keep her out of trouble. You're good for her."

Regina swallowed. The parents of the person she was dating had never said that she was good for their child before. They never usually liked her, and thought that she was too high maintenance. It was typical, really, that the one time someone's parents actually thought that she was a good match for their child was the one time that the whole relationship was faked.

"Thank you." Regina said with a small smile.

"I mean, you're complete opposites," Mary Margaret continued. "But opposites attract. You two are the perfect example of that. And, call me a romantic, but I love the idea of two people who hated each other at first, then realised that they actually loved each other. It's just so..." Mary Margaret joined her hands together and emitted a strange squealing sound.

Regina felt a little bad that this woman, who thought her daughter was involved in the perfect, fairy tale romance, was actually being lied to. She was going to be so upset when Emma told her that they had broken up, and she didn't deserve that. None of these people deserved that disappointment. They all just wanted Emma to be happy, and believed that she was now, when in reality she was probably less happy than she had been in a long time while faking a relationship with Regina.

"I can't wait to get to know you some more." Mary Margaret said, when Regina didn't respond to her last comment. "I want to know everything about the woman who has captured my daughter's heart."

Regina smiled and nodded, then looked away. Well, now she was panicking. If Mary Margaret found out a lot about her, then she would see how utterly mismatched she was with her daughter. She would know that they didn't belong together, and would probably try to call off the engagement.

"Are you two ready to see this dress?" Emma called, causing Mary Margaret and Regina to turn in her direction.

"Yes! Come out!" Mary Margaret said excitedly.

Emma emerged from the dressing room, wearing the hot pink dress. Her hair was still pulled back into a ponytail, but she still managed to look great. Regina had thought that Emma would look ridiculous, but she actually looked...

Regina swallowed, her eyes going up and down Emma's body. Her arms were on full display in the short sleeves, which looked  _amazing_. A tiny bit of cleavage could be seen peaking above the neckline, which Regina's eyes were drawn to. God, she wished that the neckline was lower so that she could see more. Was that perverted? Regina also found that she had never been so attracted to clavicles before, but with Emma's on show for all to see, she was suddenly drawn to them. And she couldn't even get started on Emma's legs. Her slim waist made Regina just want to wrap her arms around her and, when she looked back at Emma's face, the way that she was nervously chewing on her lip made Regina's heart race.

"Oh, Emma." Mary Margaret said, sounding a little emotional. "You look so beautiful. Doesn't she look good, Regina?"

Emma turned to Regina expectantly, wringing her hands together in a nervous manner. "You look..." Regina, for once, couldn't find the words to express herself. Was she speechless? She swallowed, trying to think of something to say. Only one word came to mind. "You look perfect, Emma."

Emma almost looked relieved as a smile overtook her features. She looked down at herself and ran a hand over the dress. "It looks better than I thought it would." She admitted.

"See! I told you so." Mary Margaret said smugly.

While Emma playfully rolled her eyes and continued to look at her dress, Regina only had one thing on her mind. And, since she was pretending to be engaged to this woman, it seemed like an acceptable thing to do.

So, she walked over to Emma and put her hands on the blonde's hips, making Emma look at her. When they had made eye contact, she smiled shyly and said, "Emma, you look stunning."

Emma seemed surprised, but then smiled a genuine smile. "Really?"

Regina nodded her head and leaned in, connecting her lips to Emma's. Even though she was expecting the softness of the blonde's lips this time, she was still surprised by just how soft they were. She pulled away slightly, then kissed the blonde again, this time wrapping her arms around her waist and pulling her body into her. Emma smiled against her lips and wrapped her arms around her neck.

Again, Regina was tempted to add tongue, but knew that she shouldn't when Mary Margaret was watching them. So, she forced herself to pull away and look at Emma, who had a slightly dazed look on her face.

"You should wear dresses more often." Regina said, not letting go of Emma.

Emma smiled and nodded her head. "Okay."

* * *

Emma bought the dress. She didn't know whether she was going to wear it to her parents' party on Saturday night, but she bought the dress. If not for the fact that her mother had looked at her with such pride when she was wearing it, then for the fact that Regina was practically drooling when she saw her.

Yes, Emma noticed the effect she had had on Regina when she had stepped out of the changing room. She had seen the hungry look in the brunette's eye when she had looked her up and down. And that kiss? Wow.

So, Emma bought the dress. Because she liked the feeling of having someone being attracted to her. Especially when that person was Regina.

As they left the store, Mary Margaret announced that she needed to the bathroom, so would be taking a trip to Granny's, if anyone wanted to go with her. Regina said that she would go, but Emma decided to stay with her father and brother. So, she watched her mother and 'fiancee' walk down the street towards the diner, while she went over to August and David.

"You took your sweet time." August said as Emma reached the bench that the two men were sitting on.

"Mom made me try on a dress." Emma said, by way of explanation.

"Did you buy it?" David asked.

Emma nodded her head, causing both of the men to look at each other with surprised expressions. They knew Emma, and they knew that she rarely wore dresses. "Are you serious? I can count the amount of times I've seen you in a dress on one hand." August informed her.

"Yes, well, Regina liked it, so..." Emma trailed off with a shrug.

She swore that she saw August glower at the mention of Regina, but he replaced the look with a neutral expression so quickly that she couldn't be sure. She frowned, asking him a silent question, but he just looked away without a word.

"Are you wearing the dress for the party on Saturday?" David asked happily, completely oblivious to the silent interaction between the siblings.

Emma shrugged again. "I haven't decided yet."

"Well, I think that you should." David said decisively. "You look lovely when you wear dresses, and if Regina likes it, then it's a win-win. You gotta do things to make your partner happy. Your mother used to love it when I wore tuxes, because she said that I looked like James Bond. So, I wore tuxes every chance I got, just to make her happy. And it was worth it, to see the way that her face lit up when she saw me."

Emma smiled, knowing that their parents loved each other with all their hearts. But, she couldn't imagine Regina's face lighting up when she saw her, no matter what she was wearing. The sight of her usually made Regina scowl, or look bored.

It's not like Emma wanted Regina to look at her in those ways. In fact, she wished that the brunette would be happy to see her, would smile at the sight of her. That would be nicer than knowing that Regina probably hated her guts. Emma didn't want her brother or father to see the disappointed expression on her face, so she looked away from them to hide it.

Emma looked up, her gaze going down Main Street, where it settled on a man that she would recognise anywhere. He had just come out of a shop, so he had a bag in his hand. In his other hand, he held his phone, texting someone. Emma's legs were moving before she even told them to. As she walked, she absently said, "Back in a minute." Over her shoulder, leaving a confused David and August behind.

As she got closer to the person who had caught her eye, she shoved her hands in her pockets and smiled sheepishly. He still hadn't looked up at her, so she would have to get his attention. "Hey, Neal."

He looked up in surprise, a smile instantly covering his face when he saw her. "Em! How are you doing?"

Neal opened his arms, encouraging Emma into a hug. She moved into his reach and wrapped her arms around him, inhaling his scent. He still smelled the same as he had all those years ago: of musky cologne, cigarettes (even though he didn't smoke) and something else that could only be described as  _boy_. She smiled to herself, feeling his scent envelop her and take her back to when she was eighteen years old.

"I'm good." She said as she pulled away. "How are you?"

"Great. Better now that I've seen you." Neal winked, then laughed slightly to show that he was only joking. "It's so weird seeing you again after all this time."

Emma frowned and tilted her head to the side. "A good weird, or...?"

"Of course." Neal said immediately. "It's amazing. I've missed seeing you. Storybrooke just isn't the same without you."

Emma smiled shyly and kicked a stone that was on the floor in front of her. "I've missed you too." She said quietly, then swallowed. "So, what are you doing?"

"Buying batteries and light bulbs." Neal answered, holding up the bag in his hand. "What about you?"

"We're showing Regina around town, because she's never been to Storybrooke before." Emma said, nodding her head in the direction of Granny's.

Neal's face dropped slightly. "Right. Regina." He swallowed, then scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "About that, I think I owe you an apology." Emma tilted her head to the side in question. "I could have reacted better when I found out the you were engaged."

"Neal, don't be stupid." Emma dismissed. "You don't owe me an apology. You were just shocked, right? Anyone would be."

"Well, it was a big surprise." Neal admitted. "But I should have told you that I was happy for you. Which I am. But I hadn't even known that you were dating anyone, never mind engaged to someone, and someone like her? It was a lot to take in."

Emma frowned at that. "What do you mean 'someone like her'?" She asked.

Neal shrugged casually. "She just doesn't seem your type. She's very..." He trailed off, causing Emma to tilt her head to the side and narrow her eyes. She didn't know where her sudden need to protect Regina had come from, but she knew that if Neal didn't end his sentence with a positive adjective then she would give him a piece of her mind.

"She's very...?" Emma urged him.

"Fancy? Classy? Superior? I don't know." Neal seemed to sense that Emma wasn't happy with that description, as he quickly added. "But it doesn't matter what I think. I mean, I've only met her once, so what do I know? All that matters is that she makes you happy, right? Your happiness it all that matters..."

Emma nodded her head in agreement, but couldn't think of anything to say on the matter. Talking about her relationship with Regina made her uncomfortable, as she was constantly worried that she'd say something to screw up.

"She does make you happy, right?" Neal said after a moment, studying Emma carefully.

Emma knew what the expected answer was, but she couldn't help but think about the  _true_  answer. She pictured Regina in her mind, firstly in her office before this trip to Storybrooke. The answer that came to mind was a resounding  _no_ , Regina didn't make her happy, she nagged her non-stop and called her incompetent more than was necessary. But then she pictured Regina in Storybrooke over the last couple of days, and the answer suddenly became less clear in her mind. Regina didn't _not_  make her happy anymore. Being around Regina was no longer excruciating, and could actually be quite nice.

"Yes." Emma said. "She makes me happy."

* * *

Regina and Mary Margaret exited Granny's and crossed the street, to where David and August were still sitting on the bench. It only took seconds for Regina to realise that a tall blonde was missing, and she found herself frowning.

"Hey, where's Emma?" Mary Margaret asked as she approached her family.

"Speaking to Neal." David replied, nodding down the street.

Regina looked in the direction that he had indicated to, immediately seeing Emma with her ex, absorbed in a conversation. They were standing close together, both completely committed to the conversation, as if the street around them didn't exist. It seemed serious, but not bad.

"Oh," Mary Margaret frowned. "That's strange. What are they talking about?"

 _That's strange._ Exactly. Mary Margaret could see that they were talking way too closely for people who were supposed to be exes. Emma was going to make it clear that she didn't have feeling for Regina and ruin their whole charade.  _Idiot._

When Regina looked back towards the blonde, she saw that Emma was now smiling and laughing. Oh great, now things were getting more affectionate. Because  _that_  wouldn't around suspicion.

"How am I supposed to know what they're talking about?" David asked, bringing Regina from her thoughts. "We've been sitting over here, completely out of earshot."

Mary Margaret sighed and shook her head. "Well, I need the keys to her bug. I'm not carrying this dress around with me all day." She lifted the garment bag that she was holding, which contained Emma's dress, then turned to Regina. "Do you think you could go and get her?"

Regina raised her eyebrows, not particularly wanting to interrupt Emma and Neal's conversation, but at the same time,  _really_  wanting to interrupt. They seemed completely engrossed in each other, which for some reason, didn't make Regina very happy. Emma was supposed to be _her_  fiancee, so why was she paying more attention to her ex than she had paid to Regina over the last few days? Of course, she _had_  been paying attention to Regina, but not in the completely-oblivious-to-her-surroundings way that she was talking to Neal.

Still, Regina nodded her head and turned towards the ex-couple. She would stop Emma from fawning over her ex and ruining their act if she had to. One of them needed to be responsible and not completely mess their whole plan up and, obviously, that person had to be her.

She didn't give herself any time to hesitate. Instead, she stormed over to Emma and Neal, already forcing a polite smile.

"Honey," She said, making the pair turn to her. Emma raised her eyebrows, surprised to see her, but Neal's face dropped at the sight of her. "Mary Margaret would like the keys to your bug so that you can put the dress away."

Emma looked past Regina to where her mother was standing, then sighed. "Right." She turned to Neal and smiled apologetically. "I should be going. But it was nice seeing you."

"Yeah. See you soon." Neal lifted up a hand to wave awkwardly as Emma ran over to her mother.

Regina turned back to the man, not intending to have a conversation with him, but not wanting to be rude, either. She had been raised better than that. "If you'll excuse me, I should be getting back."

Regina turned on her heel and began to walk back towards David and August. Mary Margaret and Emma were already on their way to Emma's bug with the garment bag, so Regina would have to stick with the men until they got back.

Regina expected to be walking back towards the bench alone, but she soon realised that someone was walking close behind her. She frowned and turned to the side, seeing Neal following her. As soon as they made eye contact, he smiled awkwardly and said, "My car's parked down here."

Regina nodded in understanding as the man fell into step beside her. Now alone with Neal, Regina awkwardly glanced at him, noticing that he was looking at her as if he was analysing her, which made Regina feel uncomfortable. She couldn't picture Neal with Emma, even though she had seen pictures of them together. Maybe it was the beard. It made him look too scruffy.

"So, are you from New York?" Neal asked, obviously just trying to make conversation.

"No. Canada."

"Oh," He nodded his head.

"Have you ever been?"

"To Canada or New York?"

"Either."

"No."

Regina nodded and looked away. What was one supposed to say to the ex of the woman that one was pretending to be engaged to?

"You must've though I was an idiot, huh?" Neal said with a small laugh, which was more to himself than anything else. "When you met me yesterday."

"And why's that?" Regina asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Well, I got kinda shocked when I found out that Emma was engaged to you. I was stunned into silence a little bit, but that was your first impression of me. So, you must have thought I was an idiot."

 _I still do_ , Regina thought to herself. She then chastised herself, though, remembering that this view was completely unfounded.

"It's just, with the history I've had with Emma, I never thought I'd see the day she got engaged again."

Regina frowned at this and stopped walking, just out of earshot of David and August.  _Again?_ _What the hell did that mean?_

"What exactly _is_  your history with Emma?" Regina asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

"She hasn't told you?"

"She's told me parts," Regina lied. "But I want to hear your version of events."

"Oh, ok." Neal cleared his throat and scratched the back of his head. Regina had deduced in the short time that she'd known him that this was a nervous habit. "Well, I first met Emma in middle school,"  _Wow, he's really starting this story from the beginning_. "We became friends right away. We started dating in high school, when we were 16. It was a long time coming, to be honest. We'd always had a flirty relationship and stuff, and there's always been chemistry, so it just made sense that we start to date.

"I proposed to her when we were eighteen." Neal looked down and fiddled with the handle of the bag he was holding. "I just knew that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her, so I didn't care that we were young or anything. She said yes, and everything was great. Her parents weren't too happy though. They said that she was too young to get married, so they said that we had to wait until we were twenty-one before there was a wedding. Which was fine by us. As long as we got to be together, everything would be fine.

"We talked about our dreams and shit. Emma used to always say that she wanted to get out of Storybrooke, move to NYC, where life was more exciting than in this sleepy town. I said that I just wanted to get married, have kids, get a dog, and, y'know, be normal. So, when Emma turned 21 and we could get married, I started planning it right away. But while I was planning the wedding, Emma was planning on moving miles and miles away. She was looking for cheap apartments in New York, while I was booking a church.

"One day, we had to face reality. We didn't want the same thing. We both wanted each other, but she wanted to move to New York and live her life there, while I wanted to stay in Storybrooke, where I'd grown up and wanted my kids to grow up. New York was her dream, not mine. So, I told her to go. I wouldn't take no for an answer. I told her to go, live her dream, and I'd be here when she got back."

"And that was seven years ago?" Regina asked. It seemed a long time to wait for someone to come back.

"Yep." Neal put his hands in his pockets. "But, she did what I said. She went, she lived, and she came back... with you."

Regina swallowed, suddenly feeling slightly guilty. Although Emma had come back with her, she hadn't really come back  _with her_. But Neal didn't know that, and he suddenly looked awfully forlorn.

"Don't get me wrong, I haven't put my life on standby or anything. I've dated people too, bought a dog, done everything that I wanted to do. But, despite everything, part of me always thought that we'd end up together, Emma and I." He swallowed thickly, then forced a laugh. "But I guess not. She fell in love with you instead. So, I suppose it's time I moved on."

In Regina's mind, the picture of Neal and Emma on the boat flashed up. The way that Emma had been grinning at Neal, looking happier than ever. That was because she had been looking at the person that she thought she would spend her life with, the person that she loved. The person who had waited _seven years_  to spend a life with her, and, for all Regina knew, Emma had waited seven years for him too. She hadn't known Emma to be in a long-term relationship in the time she'd known her so, in all probability, she was saving herself for Neal.

But then Regina had come along, forced the blonde to fake an engagement with her, and now Emma's potential soulmate was talking about moving on from her. Regina might be screwing up Emma's chance at true love, here. She might be screwing up Emma's future happiness.

She would have to talk to Emma about this at some point. She would have to tell Emma that this false engagement wasn't worth risking her chance to be with the man that she actually wanted to be with.

Later, she told herself. Later, she would tell Emma that she could call this off if she wanted to. Later, she would probably be on a flight back to Canada.

* * *

The next stop on the tour was a huge pile of rocks. Regina wished that she could expand on that statement, and say something that was special about the mini mountain, but there wasn't anything more to say. It was a huge pile of rocks.

It sat on the left hand side of the beach, just next to the car park. It wasn't that high, probably between two and three metres, and they seemed to be conveniently laid out in a way that made them easy to climb. Not that Regina wanted to climb them. Rock climbing wasn't really her forte.

But, she should have known by now that all of her worst nightmares were Emma's dreams come true. The first question the blonde asked was. "Can we climb them?"

Apparently, as children, Emma and August had always come and climbed the rocks, until they were at the top, where there was a great view of the entire beach.

"You can if you like." Mary Margaret said. "Your dad and I are going to sit down here." She pointed to a nearby bench. "We're getting too old to climb rocks with you."

Emma rolled her eyes. "You guys aren't old." She insisted, then turned to her brother. "Are you coming, August?" Emma asked her brother, to which she received a nod. Then she turned to Regina. "What about you?"

Regina looked at the rocks, then at Emma. "I don't think so."

Emma looked disappointed, and even pouted slightly. "Come on. You'll love the view."

Emma actually wanted Regina to go, which was enough to persuade the brunette. People were usually trying to get rid of her, not inviting her to join them when they went places. Given, the places that people went usually weren't a big pile of rocks, but still.

Besides, Regina reminded herself, later she would be telling Emma about her conversation with Neal. She would be giving Emma permission to abort mission, which the blonde would likely do for the chance to find true love instead of helping Regina avoid deportation. This might be one of the last activities that Regina would get to do with Emma, so she may as well take part instead of sitting it out.

"Alright, but just to see what the fuss is all about." Regina caved.

"Great." Emma said with a grin, then walked them to the first rock of their climb. "August, you go first so that you can show Regina where to step. I'll go behind Regina to make sure she doesn't fall."

Regina watched as August effortlessly stepped onto the first rock, using his hands to steady himself on one of the higher rocks. As soon as he moved off that one and onto the next one, Regina stepped in the place he had vacated, mirroring his movements exactly. She had never done this before, so it would be easier to follow the expert instead of navigating her own path.

So, she followed close behind August, stepping exactly where he stepped, and well-aware of the fact that Emma was right behind her. It was only when she almost lost her balance that she found out just  _how_  close Emma was. All Regina did was rock backwards slightly, when suddenly she felt Emma's hand on her to stop her from falling. It was where the hand was that made Regina's eyes widen and heart race, though.

"Emma." She said firmly. "Get your hand off my ass. Now."

The hand lingered on her rear end for a moment longer, then was slowly withdrawn. "I was just saving your life." Emma said innocently.

"I'm three feet off the ground, dear. I don't think I would have died, even if I had fallen, which I wouldn't have."

"Whatever you say, boss." Emma said cheekily.

Regina looked back up towards August, seeing that he was now on top of the pile, looking out in the distance. Regina was now high enough to see that the rock on the top was the largest of the lot, and was flat. It looked like it would just have enough room for the three of them.

"This view is incredible." August said, gazing out at the ocean.

"You think the view from up there in incredible?" Emma said. "You should see the view from down here."

Regina frowned and looked down at Emma, noticing that the blonde was practically face-to-face with her ass, and was making no attempt to hide the fact that she was staring at it. Regina scowled and swatted at Emma's head, trying to get her to avert her gaze.

"Woah, what?" Emma said, looking up at her. Then Emma looked at August and frowned. "I've just realised that you're my brother, and this in my fiancee, so you actually  _shouldn't_  see the view from down here."

"And neither should you." Regina hissed firmly.

"I'm your fiancee, remember?" Emma said smugly. "I have ass privileges." As if to accentuate her point, she lightly smacked Regina's ass and gave the brunette a wink. "Now get moving, sweet cheeks. We don't have all day."

Regina glared at the blonde, but stepped onto the next rock, soon finding herself at the peak. She looked out at the beach and, just as Emma had said, you could see almost the entire thing. It stretched out as far as the eye could see, children and dog-walkers dotted around on the sand. The ocean also stretched out as far as the eye could see, the refection of the sunlight dancing on the waves and causing the surface to have an orange glow.

In the opposite direction sat rows of trees and, poking out from behind them, was the top of the clock tower. Even from here, Regina knew that the hands would not be moving, thanks to her earlier visit.

"See? Isn't the view great." Emma said as she reached the top and joined Regina and August.

Regina nodded her head, actually impressed with the views from the rocks. "It's extremely picturesque."

"I had my first date here." August informed them, stuffing his hands in his pockets casually. "With Rachel Delfino, when I was fifteen. We had a picnic up here."

"I can see how it would be romantic." Regina admitted, looking at the ocean, which was the main cause for the romantic feel.

"Speaking of, I should give you two a moment alone to enjoy it, right?" August said, then retreated down the rocks.

Regina watched him leave, then looked down at Mary Margaret and David, who were sitting on the bench below. David had his arm wrapped around his wife, while Mary Margaret rested her head on his shoulder. They were talking, both with fond smiles on their faces, and it made Regina's heart ache.

She wanted that. She wanted to love someone as much as they loved each other. With Mary Margaret and David, you could tell that they were head-over-heels with each other just by looking at them. They had a certain glint in their eyes when they looked at each other, and a way that they treated each other that showed how affectionate they were. Like now, the way they were sitting on the bench together, it was clear that they were in love.

Regina looked back at Emma, who was standing about a foot away from her with her hands in her pockets. They didn't do that. They didn't look at each other fondly, or touch each other like the other was something to be cherished. People might figure out that this was an act just because of that.

"Do you think we're doing enough?" Regina asked, before she even realised that she was asking it.

Emma looked at her and frowned. "What do you mean?"

"The PDA." Regina said, nodding towards Emma's parents. "You can see how much your parents love each other. Do you think that people look at us and see how much we... don't?"

Emma's looked to the side for a minute and shrugged. "Shall we change that?"

Regina didn't say anything, so Emma moved behind her and put her hands on her shoulders, rotating Regina until she was facing the sea. She then stepped closer to the brunette, wrapping her arms around her waist from behind. She pressed her body flush against Regina's back and rested her head on her shoulder, so that they were both looking out at the ocean together.

Regina didn't know what to do at first. She had never been hugged from behind before, and she didn't know if she was comfortable with it. But feeling Emma pressed against her wasn't the worst feeling in the world, and feeling Emma's breasts on her back sent a wave of warmth through her. Without thinking, she put her arms on top of Emma's, which were wrapped around her front, and hugged the blonde closer to her. She let her head tip back slightly and sighed at the feeling.

Actually, she decided, this was nice.

Emma turned her head to the side so that her face was in Regina's neck, meaning that the brunette had to bite back a laugh at the way that Emma's breath was tickling her. She swore that she felt Emma take a deep breath, as if she was smelling her, then she pressed a kiss to Regina's neck.

"How's this? Do you think this is enough PDA?" Emma asked, squeezing Regina tighter and kissing her again, this time just below her ear.

"This..." Regina inclined her head so that Emma would kiss her neck again. "Is perfect."

The way that her heart fluttered in her chest at the feeling of being held by Emma told her that she wasn't lying.

The way that her heart plummeted when she thought about telling Emma that it was OK if she wanted to call this charade off to be with Neal told her that she didn't want this to end.


	10. Chapter 10

There was something wrong with Regina.

Emma had known it as soon as they got back to the cabin. Her boss was being quiet and distant, detached from reality as if she were in a world of her own. As Mary Margaret would say, she was away with the fairies.

Emma had tried to draw her out of this state. She had been trying to talk to the brunette and make her laugh, but Regina was only responding with hums and unconvincing smiles. It was hard for Emma to cheer Regina up when she had no idea what was wrong with her. It was like a switch had been flipped. One moment she had been smiling contentedly, while Emma had had her arms wrapped around her on the rocks. The next moment, she had been refusing to look at Emma on the drive back to the cabin and had barely spoken two words to her since.

Yes, something was definitely bothering her, and Emma intended to find out what it was.

She had been trying to observe Regina, to see if she could _see_  what the problem was, but that plan failed the moment Regina offered to help Mary Margaret cook dinner. Emma had followed her mom and 'fiancee' into the kitchen, only to be shouted at repeatedly for being in the way. In the end, her mother had ordered her to go back into the living room, where she wouldn't be an inconvenience.

The next time she saw Regina was when they were eating dinner. Emma sat next to her at the table, across from Mary Margaret and David. August was at the head of the table, overlooking them all. Emma thought the seating arrangement was perfect. She could finally figure out what was going on.

"Oh my God, this chicken is _awesome_ , mom." Emma said after a few mouthfuls. Figuring out what was wrong with Regina was important, but Emma always had a soft spot for food. Besides, her mother made one hell of a roast dinner.

"Thank you, darling." Mary Margaret smiled.

"And the mashed potatoes are incredible." Emma continued, dropping a couple more spoonfuls onto her plate. "Creamier than you usually make them."

"Actually, Regina made the mashed potatoes." Mary Margaret explained.

Emma turned to the brunette next to her with a smile. "Really? They're great."

Regina nodded her head with a small smile. "I'm glad you like them."

That was the most the brunette had said to Emma for the past hour, so Emma took it as a small victory. Sure, she hadn't looked up at Emma when she said it. And sure, she was acting like the food on her plate was the most interesting thing in the room. But still... a small victory.

"Have you never made mashed potatoes for Emma before?" August asked curiously, looking at Regina as if he were accusing her of something.

"They're not really my forte." Regina replied, looking at August challengingly. "I prefer cooking lasagna."

"Regina makes _the best_  lasagna." Emma informed the table. She had once brought it to an office party, and Emma had thought that her taste buds were having tiny orgasms. But, she wasn't going to say that in front of her parents.

"Oh, really?" Mary Margaret asked with genuine interest. "I've tried to make lasagna so many times, but I can never get it to taste good. Do you think you could give me a lesson sometime?"

"Of course." Regina nodded politely.

Emma smiled to herself at the small interaction between Regina and Mary Margaret. They seemed to be getting along swimmingly. For some reason, that made Emma happy to see.

"Would you like some brussel sprouts, Regina?" Mary Margaret asked, pointing to the bowl that contained the green vegetables.

"No, thank you."

"Regina hates brussel sprouts." Emma explained.

"Oh, I'll have to remember that for thanksgiving." Mary Margaret said casually, unaware to the way that Emma and Regina glanced at each other.

David made a comment that it was too early to start thinking about thanksgiving, to which Mary Margaret argued that it was never too early to start planning. This caused a debate between the pair of them, which gave Emma the perfect opportunity to talk to Regina.

"Is everything OK?" She asked in a quiet voice.

"Of course. Why wouldn't it be?" Even as she spoke, Regina's gaze remained on the chicken that she was cutting.

"You're just being quiet." Emma explained. "Is it because of the PDA on the rocks? Were you uncomfortable with that?"

"I was perfectly fine."

"Then what is it?"

"Does it matter?"

"Of course it matters. If something's bothering you, then I want you to tell me about it so that I can fix it."

Regina didn't say anything, but looked up at Emma. She narrowed her eyes, as if looking for any signs of deception, but then seemed to realise that Emma wasn't lying. She swallowed and looked back at her plate. "We need to talk." She admitted.

"About what?" Emma asked with a frown, worry evident in her voice.

"We'll talk about it later."

"But-"

"Later."

The sternness in Regina's voice held no room for argument, so Emma just sighed and leaned back in her chair. She assumed that whatever Regina wanted to talk to her about was the reason for her strange behaviour, but she was no closer to finding out what it was.

At least now she knew that she'd find out later, though. It was times like these that she  _really_  wished she weren't so impatient.

* * *

There was something wrong with Regina.

August had known it as soon as he had overheard the brunette on the phone, when she had been talking to her sister. The things that she had said, about having a plan and about Emma being her fiancee for 'all intents and purposes', had aroused suspicion in him. He didn't know what that meant. Emma was her fiancee for 'all intents and purposes'? It made it sound like Emma wasn't really her fiancee...

But, if that were true, then Emma must have missed the memo. All the time that Emma and Regina had been in Storybrooke, Emma had been at Regina's side, holding her hand, touching the small of her back, hugging her waist. Whereas Regina, with the exception of a few tentative touches, had done nothing quite as affectionate towards Emma.

Even at dinner just now, Emma had been making an effort with Regina. She had been talking to the brunette, trying to make her laugh or smile. She had nudged her playfully, and at one point, put her hand on Regina's knee as if to offer her some comfort. Meanwhile, Regina had found her boiled carrots much more interesting.

August had watched on, a suspicious look on his face. He didn't trust Regina as far as he could throw her. There was just something not quite right about her, and August wanted to know what it was.

* * *

While Emma and Mary Margaret discussed the tragic death of Emma's fourth grade teacher, Regina decided to clear away some dishes. She picked up Emma's plate and her own, then headed towards the kitchen, not before receiving a request from Emma for a slice of pie.

Regina nodded her head, telling the blonde that she would bring her some dessert, then went through the doors to the kitchen, going straight to the sink. Her mood couldn't get much worse right now. Knowing that she would have to give Emma the opportunity to abandon their plan, consequently ensuring her own deportation, was making her feel exceptionally dejected. She was going to lose her job. Zelena was going to _get_  her job. She was going to have to leave New York. She was going to have to leave _Emma_.

If Regina had been told a week ago that there was a possibility that she would never see or speak to Emma again, she would have shrugged it off. Why should she care? Emma was just her assistant. She was expendable and replaceable.

But now, Regina had realised that Emma was more than just her assistant. She was more than just someone to get her coffee in the mornings and book her appointments for the day. She was also kind and funny. She had a big heart, which could be seen from the fact that she had helped Regina in this crazy scheme. And she was gentle. In the way that she touched Regina to keep up their charade, the way she would rest a hand on Regina's back or hug her from behind. She was so gentle in a way that made Regina feel special.

But, Emma was also no pushover. She was a strong woman, who could hold her own against Regina. Who else would have the nerve to demand to have their manuscript published and a new promotion in return for helping Regina?

Yes, Emma was so much more than just an assistant. And Regina may never see her again after she got deported.

Regina tried not the think about it. She tried not to think about how sad that thought made her, and instead focused on rinsing the gravy-splattered plates in the sink. Halfway through the task, the door to the kitchen opened, causing her to glance over her shoulder to see who it was.

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes when she saw that it was August. He made her feel slightly nervous. It was the way that he looked at her, like he was studying her, that she didn't like. Usually, if Regina didn't like someone, then she made it perfectly clear by being hostile to them. But August was Emma's brother, so she knew that she would have to be civil with him.

August wordlessly walked over to the sink with a couple of other plates, and placed them on the counter next to Regina. Then he backed away, but he didn't leave the room. Instead, he walked over to the counter on the opposite side of the kitchen and leaned against it, folding his arms across his chest. Regina watched him for a second, then turned back to the sink and continued rinsing plates, not knowing if she was expected to say something to him.

"So," August said after a moment. "Are you enjoying your time in Storybrooke?"

Regina turned on fiancee-mode. "Yes. It's a lovely town."

"Has Emma been to your hometown?"

"No." Regina said, then quickly added, "Not yet."

"Huh," August said, causing Regina to turn to look at him. He was nodding thoughtfully, which made Regina frown and turn away. "What's your favourite thing about being here?"

Regina felt like this was a test. Like every question asked by August was a trick question. So, she tried to think about what her examiner wanted to hear. "I like seeing the place that Emma grew up. The place that shaped her into the person that she is now. I like that I can finally picture a young version of Emma running around this place, going back into her room and listening to NSYNC."

"NSYNC?" August repeated, confusion evident in his voice.

Regina swallowed, going back in her mind to when Mary Margaret had said that Emma still had an NSYNC poster in her old room. She had said that, right? "Yes. Emma like them when she was a teen."

"No she didn't." August said bluntly, causing Regina to turn around. "The popular kids at school liked them," August said matter-of-factly. "And Emma didn't have many friends, so she pretended to like them to fit in. But I don't think she could even name a single member of NSYNC."

Regina swallowed, suddenly feeling stupid. "Oh."

She swore that August had a smirk playing on his lips, which infuriated Regina. She wished that she could wipe it off his face, but she instead picked up the hand towel and started drying her hands.

"She's always preferred Queen and The Rolling Stones." August said smugly.

Regina remembered something that Emma had said in the car, and decided to use in to her advantage. "And Nirvana." She supplied.

August narrowed his eyes slightly, but nodded his head, seeming to hate the fact that he had to admit that Regina was correct.

Regina smiled insincerely and walked over to the fridge to get Emma some pie. On the top shelf sat three pies, each one labelled with its flavour. Regina debated for a moment, then took the one from the middle and put it on the counter, taking out a plate and knife to cut her assistant a slice.

"Is that kiwi-lime?" August said, walking towards her slightly.

Regina glanced at him, then looked back down as she cut quite a large slice. "It is."

"Are you eating it?" August asked curiously.

Regina frowned, not seeing the significance of this. "No, it's for Emma."

"Oh, really? You're cutting kiwi-lime pie for Emma?"

Regina put the knife down and looked at the man incredulously. "Is there something wrong with that?"

"My sister's allergic to kiwi." August informed her with a glint in his eye, as if he was satisfied that Regina didn't know that.

Regina swallowed, infuriated with herself for adding fuel to August's fire of mistrust.

"So, are you trying to kill my sister? Or do you not know your fiancee well  _at all_?"

Regina clenched her jaw and bit her tongue, forcing herself not to say anything until she had counted to ten in her head. She didn't appreciate the way that August was making her feel like she was under attack, and she could think of a million biting remarks to show him that, but she was supposed to be being civil. She wasn't supposed to be giving Emma's family any reasons not to trust her, but now she had just shown how little she knew about Emma, which was a big reason to be wary of her. She was blowing this, and she needed to stop.

Luckily, Emma decided to enter the kitchen at that moment, meaning that Regina didn't need to thin of a nauseatingly polite response to August.

"What's taking you so long?" Emma asked, looking between her brother and her boss. "I thought you'd got lost or something."

"You never told me that you were allergic to kiwi." Regina said, throwing August a dirty look as she did.

"Yeah..." Emma looked at Regina with a frown. "It never really came up..."

"Don't you think it's weird that your fiancee doesn't know what you're allergic to?" August said, folding his arms across his chest.

Emma realised that August seemed suspicious, so she swallowed nervously. "Not really. I don't know everything about Regina, and she doesn't know everything about me. But what we do know is enough to make us want to be married to each other. We learn new things about each other everyday, which means I find new things to like about Regina everyday. I don't think there's anything wrong with that."

Regina smiled to herself at how calmly Emma handled her brother's suspicions, then looked to August to see if he would argue.

August narrowed his eyes. "Well, your fiancee was about to feed you something that would have sent you to hospital."

Emma looked over to Regina, her eyes finding the kiwi-lime pie beside the brunette. "And now she knows that I'm allergic to kiwi, and it'll never happen again." She shrugged casually.

"So, you're not bothered that Regina almost-"

Emma didn't even let August finish his sentence. "No, I'm not bothered. I haven't told her that I'm allergic to kiwi because it's never really been relevant, so how the hell would she have known? Stop acting like she did it on purpose and-"

"I'm not acting like she did it on purpose." August said firmly. "I'm acting like I think it's weird that the woman you're engaged to doesn't know something so basic about you."

"What  _exactly_  are you suggesting?"

"I'm not suggesting anything."

The siblings stared at each other for a few moments, causing an awkward silence to fill the room. Eventually, Emma shifted and shook her head. "Just let it go, August. Does it really matter that Regina didn't know that I was allergic to kiwi? You're making a big deal about something that's a small deal. A tiny deal."

August held his hands up in surrender. "Fine. I'll drop it."

"Good." Emma was quiet for a second, then sighed. "Anyway, I'm not hungry anymore. I'm just going to go upstairs."

August nodded and leaned back against the counter, watching the two women. Regina wrapped the pie back up and put it in the fridge, hating the tension that was now in the room. After she had closed the door to the fridge, she felt Emma grab her hand. She looked up, expecting to find green eyes looking at her, but instead Emma had already turned around and started walking in the direction of the stairs, pulling Regina behind her.

Regina sighed, but followed the blonde up the stairs. She had thought her mood couldn't get much worse, but she had been wrong. Now it was  _a lot_  worse.

Once they got to the top of the stairs, Emma dropped her hand and walked into their bedroom, leaving Regina to trail behind like a dog. Once they were both in the safety of their room, Emma closed the door and turned to Regina.

"Now you're going to tell me what's been bothering you all night." She said firmly.

Regina closed her eyes and released a breath. It was time to tell Emma that didn't have to go through with this plan.


	11. Chapter 11

_Once they got to the top of the stairs, Emma dropped her hand and walked into their bedroom, leaving Regina to trail behind like a dog. Once they were both in the safety of their room, Emma closed the door and turned to Regina._

_"Now you're going to tell me what's been bothering you all night." She said firmly._

_Regina closed her eyes and released a breath. It was time to tell Emma that didn't have to go through with this plan._

Regina turned and walked further into the room, away from Emma, to help prepare herself for what she was about to say. Part of her was worried that Emma would take her up on her offer and call off the 'engagement'. She didn't want this to end, and not just because she didn't want to get deported. She was actually enjoying spending time with Emma, who was making her feel things that she hadn't quite figured out yet. She still had a strange feeling in her chest from Emma defending their relationship when August was meddling. No one had ever been on her side like that, and she appreciated that Emma had been. She wasn't ready for that to end, though she knew that it had to.

She wanted more time. More time to revel in the feeling of not being alone, even if Emma's companionship wasn't real. More time to figure out why she was starting to feel fondly towards Emma. But she knew that she couldn't have it. She needed to say this; she needed to give Emma the chance of happiness, no matter how much she didn't want to.

It wasn't that she didn't want Emma to be happy. It was that she didn't want her to be happy with _Neal_. Why that was, Regina didn't know, which is why she wanted more time. To figure out what the hell it was that she was feeling towards the blonde.

"Regina." Emma said, gaining the brunette's attention again. "Seriously, what is it? Why can you barely even look at me?"

Regina cleared her throat and turned to the blonde. "I'm giving you an out." She said simply.

"A  _what_?" Emma frowned in confusion.

"An out. A chance to leave this engagement. I'll publish your manuscript, I'll give you the promotion, for free. You don't need to go through with this any longer."

Emma looked at Regina like she was joking, then shook her head. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Regina sighed and looked down at her hands. "I spoke to Neal earlier. He told me about how you two dated."

"You already knew that." Emma interrupted.

"He told me that the two of you were engaged." Regina added, causing Emma's mouth to form an 'o'. "He told me that you went to New York to fulfil your dreams, while he waited for you here. Apparently, the two of you were going to get married once you got back, but then you came back with me, which was a surprise to him. He seemed upset that you were getting married, because it meant that you'd moved on. But that isn't true, is it? You haven't moved on."

"Regina-"

"You've been single for the two years that I've known you, and you're an attractive woman. You could have anyone you wanted, which means you've been single by choice. I assume that it's because you've always intended to come back here, to be with Neal. You love him, and always have. If you've been single all this time because you've been saving yourself for him, then what are you doing with me? You're jeopardising your chance to be with the man you love  _just_  so that I don't have to go back to Canada for a year."

"Regina-"

"Emma, he said that he's going to try to move on too, and I can't have that. If you want to be with him, then you should be with him, before it's too late. I'm not prepared to be responsible for your heartbreak. You're lucky enough to have someone who loves you, someone who would wait  _seven years_  to be with you, and you can't lose that. Not because of me. So, you don't have any obligation to go through with this anymore. We can tell everyone that this is a lie, and I'll go back to Canada. Don't worry, I'll still publish your manuscript and give you your promotion before I go. But, you have my permission to end this and be with the man that you love."

Regina didn't know what she had expected Emma would say once she had finished talking. Perhaps she had expected a 'thank you'. A tearful smile right before the blonde rushed to tell Neal how much she loved him. Or maybe she had expected Emma to calmly accept the offer, then go downstairs and tell her parents that Regina wasn't actually her fiancee.

But Emma didn't do that.

Instead, Emma was quiet for a moment, staring at Regina with an unreadable expression. Regina figured that this wasn't a strange reaction at all, seeing as what she had just said to the blonde was probably a lot to take in. So, she waited patiently for Emma's gratitude, her heart pounding in her ears the entire time. She willed the organ to slow down, not knowing why it was beating so erratically all of a sudden.

What  _did_  come as a surprise to Regina, was Emma's eventual reaction. The blonde's face morphed into a look of anger as she took a step towards her boss. "Are you  _freaking_  kidding me right now?"

Regina's eyes widened in surprise, but she didn't say anything.

"I don't even know where to begin telling you have fucked up you are right now, Regina!"

Regina frowned, confused, and found her tongue. "What do you mean?"

"You're 'giving me permission' to call off this engagement and be with Neal? _Giving me permission_? Like I take orders from you? This might come as a surprise to you, Regina, but you're not a dictator. Do you seriously think that I've had no autonomy this whole time? That I'm only here because you told me to be here? You're wrong. I did this through choice, not because I think you have control over me in any way."

"I didn't-"

"No, Regina, you need to listen to me, for once in your life. Pretending to be engaged to you was my own choice, probably a bad one, but still my own choice. Alright? But let's take your point of view for a second and say that you  _did_  force me to take part in this plan. In that case, it's only just occurring to you that forcing someone to be engaged to you is wrong? That's is so sick and twisted. You actually thought that it was acceptable to force someone to do something against their will? Something as serious as  _breaking the law_  and faking an engagement to avoid deportation? You're... what the hell is wrong with you?"

Regina watched as Emma ran a hand through her hair, wondering if that question was rhetorical, or whether she wanted an answer. Then she wondered whether or not she was allowed to speak yet. When Emma looked at her again and resumed her yelling, she deduced that she wasn't.

"And what's really funny is that, after dragging me into this whole mess, you think that you can just call it off whenever you feel like it. Being engaged to me no longer suits you because it goes against your moral compass, which you've already proved it completely skewed. So, you want to end the engagement so that  _you_  don't have to feel guilty about keeping me from my 'soul mate', or whatever the hell you think Neal is to me. You want to end this, not for me, but for yourself. You don't want to feel bad, so you're ending this so that you can live with yourself. Coincidentally, in the process, you think that you'd be giving me a happy ending. But let's not forget, this is completely for your own benefit. God, you're so damn self-centred, it's unbelievable."

Emma shook her head, pacing by the door with her hands on her hips. She seemed lost in thought for a moment, as if trying to decide what to say next. Regina didn't know whether she was trying to decide on her next argument of many, or whether she had run out of arguments and was searching for another one.

"I just..." Emma shook her head again. "I really can't believe you. You waited until we were fully committed into this crazy plan before realising that, actually, maybe it's not the best plan after all. We've spoken to an immigration officer, lied to your boss, driven all the way to Storybrooke, told the news of our engagement to my friends and family, pretended to be engaged for two days, but  _now_ you realise that this will have an affect on my life.  _Now_  you realise that an engagement is a huge fucking deal, which is, apparently, more trouble than it's worth for you. You'd much rather have a clear conscience than get into a difficult situation."

"That's not what-"

"I'm really surprised at you." Emma said, still pacing. "I thought that you were a strong woman. I thought that you could handle a lot. But as soon as push comes to shove, you're out of here."

"Emma, are you quite done?"

"No. I have one question." Emma stopped walking so that she could look at Regina. "Why the  _hell_  have you made it your mission to make my life a living hell? What did I ever do to you?"

Regina tried to remain composed. Tried not to do what her impulses were telling her, which was to shout at the person who had just shouted at her. She forced herself to just remain calm. "Believe it or not, Emma, I've never intentionally set out to hurt you. That's certainly not what I'm doing right now. I don't have a personal vendetta against you, and I never have."

Emma scoffed. "Right. Two years of insulting me, making me do your bitch work, never letting me have a break to come and visit my family, making me jump through hoops for you. That was just you  _accidentally_  making me miserable." Emma shook her head and resumed her pacing.

"That was me being selfish and not considering your feelings." Regina corrected.

Emma didn't even seem to register her words. "I almost forgot to ask, who the hell do you think you are?" She said. "You actually think that you can choose what I do. You think that you can 'give me permission' to call off this engagement so that I can be with Neal, as if my relationship with him has  _anything_  to do with you. You don't even know anything about me and Neal."

"May I just say that I never meant for it to sound like I forced you into this engagement?" Regina said, hating how Emma kept using the term 'give me permission' against her. "I know that I don't control you, Emma, so I know that I didn't force you into helping me. But I did pressure you, and that's equally as wrong. I knew it from the beginning, but I just didn't care-"

"Because, as we've established, you only really care about yourself." Emma said, as if she'd just drawn the last line in a connect-the-dots and was now looking at the full picture.

"That's not true, Emma. This has nothing to do with me. The reason that I want you to go and be with Neal is because I want you to be happy-"

Emma laughed dryly. "You say it as if you actually know what will make me happy."

"He's the man that you wanted to spend the rest of your life with, and there's a chance that you won't get to because of this idiotic plan." Regina said, trying to convince Emma that she hadn't made this decision with malicious intent. "I've been led to believe that you want to be with him, and, as I said, I just want you to be happy."

Emma stopped pacing and turned to her. "Then don't call off this engagement!"

Regina opened her mouth to respond, but then closed it again as those words sank in. Emma also seemed to realise what she'd said, because her eyes widened slightly and she looked at Regina like a deer caught in headlights. Regina swallowed, her heart beginning to pound in her chest. "What?"

"I said 'don't call off this engagement'." Emma replied instantly, still looking shocked at herself.

Regina noticed the omission of a very small, yet very important, four letter word. Emma had said: ' _then_  don't call off this engagement'. As if her happiness was dependent on them continuing this sham. Why was that? It wasn't for the promotion, because Regina had told the blonde that she would get that regardless. So, why did Emma want to continue this plan?

"You want to go through with this?" Regina asked quietly, just to clarify.

"Well, the alternative is telling my parents that this is a lie, and they'd kill me if they found out." Emma said weakly. Regina had a feeling that there was more to it than that, but she didn't want to push the blonde further right now.

Regina still tilted her head to the side incredulously. "You want to remain engaged to a self-centred person who thinks she controls you and has made your life a living hell for two years?" She used Emma's words against her.

"Regina..." Emma rubbed her face and thought, trying to think of something to say. Finally, she settled on: "Yes."

"If that's what you want..." Regina trailed off, still shocked at what Emma had said and still internally questioning what it had meant.

"It is." Emma nodded, looking away to avoid Regina's eyes. "We've come this far, got ourselves into this whole mess, we may as well see it through to the end."

Regina nodded her head. "Ok." She swallowed and folded her arms across her chest, hugging her body. "Thank you."

"For what?" Emma asked quietly, still not looking at her.

"For agreeing to carry on. For helping me."

Emma just shrugged. "It's fine. Whatever."

An awkward silence filled the room as neither of the women said anything. The tension was palpable, many unvoiced questions and words left unsaid hanging between them.

"So, you're... _not_  leaving me to be with Neal?" Regina said, still trying to absorb this.

She had been under the impression that Neal was the love of Emma's life, but Emma didn't seem all that eager to be with him. She was choosing a false engagement with _Regina_  over him. Regina didn't understand it, and had so many questions, but she could practically see the way that Emma had withdrawn. It was like she had caved in on herself, built a wall between herself and Regina. Her shoulders were hunched, her arms wrapped around herself, she was refusing to meet Regina's eyes. This conversation was over, whether Regina wanted it to be or not.

"No, I'm not leaving you to be with Neal." Emma muttered. She glanced at the clock and then sighed. "I'm going to take a shower." She mumbled, already moving to grab a towel and some clean clothes.

"I'm going to..." Regina hesitated, not quite knowing what she was going to do. It was still early: 7:30pm, so sleeping wasn't an option. Apparently, neither was having a shower. She didn't really feel like going back downstairs and facing August again. That didn't really leave many more options. "Read."

Emma glanced at her with a judgemental look, then just shook her head and went into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

Regina released a breath that she had been holding for the entire duration of their conversation, then collapsed heavily onto the bed.

* * *

Emma and Regina somehow managed to go three hours without speaking to each other. After Emma had had her shower, she had gone downstairs to spend some time with the others. Regina was feeling too drained, so she stayed in the room, working her way through a manuscript she had brought with her.

After a while, she decided to have her own shower, which left her with fifteen minutes of uninterrupted time to think about Emma. It wasn't that she was intentionally thinking about Emma, it was just that she kept on popping into her mind, an unwanted guest that kept on coming back. If she managed to push the blonde out of her head, then she would return again as soon as Regina did something as simple as picking up the soap.  _Emma had smelled of this soap when she came out of the bathroom._

To be more specific, the thing that Regina couldn't get out of her mind was what Emma had said: _Then don't call off this engagement!_

She couldn't stop thinking about that simple, four letter word.  _Then_. Emma would be happy, as long as they didn't call off the engagement. Was that because Emma's family would be upset if they found out that the engagement was a lie, and Emma wouldn't like that? Or did it actually have something to do with Regina? Was Emma actually enjoying spending time with her?

Regina had to force that thought out of her head as soon as it entered. The way that her heart began to race with excitement at just the possibility of Emma wanting to spend time with her was too confusing for her to deal with. Why was she getting so excited about the prospect of Emma liking her? Why did she care so much?

Besides, Emma had made it perfectly clear that she didn't like Regina. She had been so angry at Regina for suggesting that they end the engagement, and had said some less than amiable things about her. Selfish and self-centred? Had made it her mission to make Emma's life a living hell? (The latter, by the way, was absurd.)

When Regina eventually turned off the shower and put on her pyjamas, she planned on just going to sleep, where thoughts of Emma Swan couldn't plague her. But, she hesitated before going back into the bedroom, catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Just as she had yesterday, she got that same self-consciousness at the sight of her make-up free face, messy hair and nightwear that wasn't exactly intimidating. God, she felt vulnerable like this.

She reminded herself that Emma was downstairs. She would go to bed, turn off the lights, and Emma wouldn't have to see her like this. It was that thought that convinced Regina to open the door to the bedroom...

Where she came face to extremely-self-conscious-face with Emma.

* * *

"I'm going to bed." Emma announced at the closing credits to the movie they had just watched began to roll.

If someone had asked her, she wouldn't even have been able to say what the film was about, she hadn't been able to concentrate on it. No, her brain instead wanted to focus on her boss upstairs. More precisely, the fact that Regina had tried to end their engagement, and the fact that she had shouted at the brunette for suggesting it.

She may have overreacted... slightly. She said things about the brunette that she shouldn't have, accused her of things like intentionally setting out to hurt her, but that was what Emma did. When she got upset, her mouth just fired things out that she didn't mean to say. It was a curse, really.

But she had been upset. Upset that Regina had come here, made Emma start to actually like her, then tried to leave her. Emma's heart had sank when Regina suggested they call things off, which had been confusing to the blonde. She would have thought she would be relieved to get out of this situation, but now she had realised that there was nothing she wanted less. She had been angry at herself for feeling that way about her boss, and may have taken it out on Regina.

But now she felt guilty about it. She knew that she should apologise, and that was exactly what she would do... as soon as she got back to the bedroom.

"Goodnight, honey. Oh, and tell Regina that I hope she feels better." Mary Margaret said as she stood up to kiss Emma's cheek.

Emma had told her family that Regina hadn't felt too good as an excuse for why the brunette wasn't joining them for the film. She couldn't exactly tell them the truth about the argument they had had.

"I will." Emma assured her mother, then kissed her dad's cheek and patted August's shoulder. "Night, everyone."

"Night." She heard her family reply as she left the room and began climbing the stairs.

How should she even begin this apology? Emma wasn't good at admitting that she had done something wrong, and she had never in her life imagined herself apologising for possibly hurting Regina's feelings. She had always thought it would be  _Regina_  apologising to  _her_.

Emma opened the door to the bedroom, expecting to see Regina on the bed, but instead found the room empty. She frowned, but then heard movement from the door to the bathroom and realised that that must be where Regina was.

Emma walked over to her makeshift bed, the pile of sheets on the floor, and neatened it up, just for something to do. She pulled off her sweatpants and changed into some shorts. She sat down, twiddled her thumbs, waiting for Regina to come out. She tried to think of what she would say to the brunette when she did come out, but came up blank.

Maybe she would think better when she was put on the spot. Maybe the words would come to her as soon as she saw Regina.

Suddenly impatient to get this out of the way, she walked over to the closed bathroom door and lifted her hand to knock on it. However, before her fist could connect with the wood, the door opened and revealed Regina.

The brunette was ready for bed. The makeup that she wore everyday had been removed; her hair, which she usually wore down, was now pulled back into a ponytail; gone were the heels that she wore on most days, instead she was standing barefoot, making her a few inches shorter than Emma; for the first time, Emma was seeing her without a power suit, fitted dress, or some other fancy attire, and was instead seeing her in a pair of grey satin pyjamas.

She looked so  _normal_. She wasn't intimidating or overpowering, she was just an ordinary woman, and Emma had never seen her like this.

The most surprising thing about Regina was that, for the first time, Emma was seeing an embarrassed look in her eye. What was she embarrassed about? She looked beautiful, so much better in her natural state than when she was dressed to appear superior.

Usually, Emma thought that Regina was one of the most beautiful women in the world, but now there wasn't a doubt in her mind. Regina was  _the most_  beautiful woman that Emma had ever laid eyes on, and Emma could have stood there all day just staring at her and appreciating her beauty.

But Regina didn't allow that. She put her head down and walked around Emma without a word, going straight to the bed and climbing under the covers. Emma stared at the spot that the brunette had been standing in for a second, then turned around dumbly to watch her settle into bed. Any words that she was going to say died on her tongue after being knocked speechless by the sight of Regina like this.

"Are you going to stand there all night, or are you going to bed?" Regina asked, making Emma blush slightly.

She must have looked like such an idiot, standing in the doorway to the bathroom, looking lost. She decided that she would go to bed, so she crossed the room to the light switch and flicked it, casting the room to darkness. She then moved in the general direction of her pile of sheets, tripping over a bag on her way, but managing to catch herself before she face-planted the floor.

She finally lay down on the floor, resting her head on her pillow, and stared at the ceiling through the darkness. She still needed to apologise, and she was thankful to find that it seemed like it would be a lot easier now that the room was dark. Why did darkness make everything so much easier?

Emma decided to get it over with and cleared her throat. "I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"The things I said earlier." Emma tugged her hair tie off her wrist, just to have something to fiddle with. "You said that you were trying to give me the opportunity to be happy. To be with...  _Neal_ , because you thought that was what I wanted. But then, in return, I was a bitch to you. A huge bitch."

"Yes, you were." Regina agreed, causing Emma to laugh.

"I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to call you selfish, or any of those other things I said. I was out of line."

"I appreciate your apology." Regina said quietly. "I may have deserved a taste of my own medicine. I haven't exactly been the nicest boss for the past couple of years, so I probably had that coming. Let's say that you were... getting even."

Emma smiled to herself. "I just want to make it really clear that I didn't mean those things. I actually think..." Emma trailed off, debating whether or not to say what she wanted to say, then decided to go for it. "I actually think that you're an awesome person. You can be funny, at times, and even though you're annoying as hell, you're still kinda likeable."

"'Kinda likeable.'" Regina repeated with a small laugh. "Don't flatter me too much, dear."

"See? As I said, annoying as hell." Emma joked.

"Watch it, Ms. Swan."

Emma laughed again, still staring at the ceiling. "So, you forgive me?"

"Yes."

"Good." Emma couldn't wipe the smile off her face if she tried. She was glad that the tension between them was gone, just like that, but she wasn't prepared for the conversation to be over just yet. She needed to keep on talking. "I didn't even tell you the two main reasons that I didn't want to call off the engagement."

Emma waited for the 'Oh?' or the 'What are the two main reasons, then?' But it never came. She frowned at the ceiling and waited some more, but after a minute of silence, she realised it probably wasn't coming. "Regina?"

"Yes?"

"Did you hear me?"

"Yes."

Emma frowned harder at the very innocent ceiling. "Well, don't you want to know what the reasons are?"

There was a slight pause. "OK."

"Don't sound too enthusiastic, jeez." Emma said with an eye roll. "Anyway, the first reason is that, despite what you think, I don't love Neal."

"You don't?"

"No. I  _did_ , back when I lived in Storybrooke, when I thought I was going to marry him. And I did for the first couple of years after I moved to New York. But then, after being away from him for so long, I realised that I didn't even know him anymore. I'd changed so much in that time, so he must have too. I still thought that I was going to come back here, get to know him again, fall in love with him again and marry him. But..."

"Do you still think that?" Regina asked quietly. So quietly that Emma had to strain to hear it.

"No."

"What changed?"

Emma swallowed, her heart starting to race in her chest when a single thought entered her mind:  _You_.

_What the hell does that mean, brain? Regina isn't the reason that I don't want to be with Neal anymore. Wait... is she? I've only stopped imagining myself with Neal from when this whole engagement with Regina started. But... that's just a coincidence... right?"_

"I don't know." Emma said. Regina was quiet after that, so Emma concluded. "So, that's the first reason. We don't need to call off the engagement because I'm not losing Neal. I don't want to have him in the first place."

"And what about the second reason?"

Emma bit her lip. "I don't want you to go back to Canada." Again, Regina was quiet, and Emma really wished she'd chosen to fake an engagement with someone more talkative. Someone who voiced their thoughts. "I'm just starting to feel like I'm getting to know you, and I actually quite like you now. I don't want you to leave and never see you again."

Emma heard something that sounded a lot like Regina swallowing, then the quiet reply, "The feeling's mutual."

Emma smiled to herself, relieved. "Good."

Silence descended the room, so Emma closed her eyes and rolled onto her side. As soon as her eyes were closed, she saw an image on her eyelids of Regina, when she'd been standing at the door to the bathroom, looking so natural and breathtakingly stunning. Emma wanted nothing more than to see her like that again, but knew that she probably wouldn't. At least, not after this week was over. She had to swallow down her disappointment at the thought.

Then, her mouth was moving before she'd even given it permission to speak. "Why do you wear all that makeup?"

"Pardon?"

Emma opened her eyes again, only to stare into space. "It's like you wear a mask everyday, with all that makeup, with your hair done perfectly, with your powerful clothes. It's like... you're wearing a costume, or a disguise, or something. I always figured that people wear makeup to make themselves look better, but..." Emma swallowed, picturing Regina again. "You don't need it."

The only sound was the noise of Regina rolling over in bed, and Emma waited patiently for Regina to speak. "I look better with makeup." Regina said eventually, so quietly that Emma almost missed it.

"No, you don't." Emma closed her eyes again, then when she realised that what she said may have caused offence, she snapped them open and hurriedly added. "I mean, you look beautiful either way, but... without all that stuff, you... glow."

Emma heard more movement from the bed and imagined that it was nervous fidgeting. Great, she'd probably made Regina uncomfortable.

"Thank you, Emma." Regina said, causing Emma to smile slightly.

"You're welcome, Regina."

Emma closed her eyes again, for good this time. She pictured Regina, this time laying in the queen-sized bed, without makeup, snuggled in the sheets, just as she was now. She imagined how peaceful the brunette would look while sleeping, until eventually, she drifted off to sleep herself.

* * *

_Emma could feel something on her shoulder. Something kind of heavy, but not too heavy. And something was tickling her chin. And what was that on her cheek?_

_She frowned and opened her eyes, seeing a mess of brown hair beside her from the corner of her eye, some strands touching her chin, causing the tickling. She turned her head to the side, her eyes meeting dark brown orbs, which were watching her with admiration._

_Emma leaned back slightly and realised that it was Regina. She was lying in bed with Regina, who had her head on her shoulder, and was watching her while she woke up. The brunette's hand was stroking Emma's cheek, the thumb grazing softly over her skin. It felt nice, soothing, and it made her relax._

_"Morning, dear." Regina said, a smile appearing on her lips as she realised that Emma was finally awake. "Sleep well?"_

_Emma felt amazing, so she assumed that the answer was yes. "Mmhmm." She confirmed, bringing up a hand to push some of Regina's hair from her face. Her bare face, Emma noticed. She loved seeing Regina like this, in the mornings and in the evenings, looking completely natural, stripped bare for Emma's eyes only._

_"God, you're beautiful." Emma murmured, more to herself than for Regina to actually hear._

_But, the brunette heard anyway, and smiled wider, sitting up slightly so that she could kiss Emma. It was just a peck, but it was all Emma needed to make her heart flutter. She took Regina's hand, which was still touching her cheek, and linked their fingers together, while Regina rested their foreheads together. When Emma breathed in, she could the scent that could only be described at_ Regina _. It was her favourite smell in the world._

_But then Regina pulled away slightly to look in her eyes, and began moving her thumb along the back of Emma's hand. Emma felt something hard pressing into her skin and looked at their hands to see what it was._

_It was the engagement ring on Regina's finger, the diamond reflecting the morning light in all the right ways. Emma had bought the ring for her, when she proposed a few weeks ago. She couldn't really remember the details of how or where she bought it, just that she had seen that ring and known that it belonged on Regina's finger, so she'd got it._

_Regina followed Emma's gaze to the ring on her hand, then smiled, holding it up so that they could both see it._

_"You have good taste." Regina commented proudly._

_Emma looked at the brunette, who was still looking fondly at her engagement ring. "I do." She said, stroking Regina's back softly._

_"Isn't it beautiful?" Regina said, her eyes still focused on her ring._

_Emma just smiled at the sight. "It's nothing compared to you."_

* * *

Once Regina had heard Emma's breathing become soft and regular, she sat up.

"Emma?" She whispered, listening for any sign of life. "Emma?"

Silence. She sighed in relief and turned the bedside lamp on, pausing again to listen out for any signs that Emma was awake. Once she was confident that Emma was out for the count, she began to move. She crawled to the foot of the bed, where she could see Emma sleeping on the floor.

Emma, who had just said she liked her. Emma, who didn't love Neal. Emma, who didn't want her to go back to Canada. Emma, who had just said she looked beautiful, without makeup.

Emma, who was doing crazy things to Regina's emotions.

Since when did Emma make Regina's heart race? Since when did one compliment from Emma hold the same value as a million compliments from anyone else? God, she was like a high school girl. It was embarrassing.

She looked at Emma on the floor, looking stunning, even when she was unconscious. The blonde was smiling in her sleep, obviously having a good dream.

Regina found herself reaching down and pushing some of her blonde hair out of her face, then using the back of her fingers to stroke Emma's cheek. Her skin was so warm and smooth. She wondered what Emma was dreaming about. What made Emma Swan smile so beautifully?

Regina smiled to herself as she thought that Emma was probably dreaming about a giant Slurpee. Or grilled cheese.

She shook her head and put her hands on the floor, bending down so that she could place the gentlest of kisses to Emma's cheek. "Sweet dreams, Emma." She said quietly, then moved back onto the bed, turning off the lamp and trying to fall asleep herself.


	12. Chapter 12

_Emma was flying. Literally, not figuratively. She was actually soaring, like Superman or Peter Pan. She was above the clouds, looking down at the white, fluffy blanket with the strongest impulse to go and lie on it. Clouds would be amazing to take a nap on._

_Sure, the laws of science said that Emma wouldn't be able to actually_ land _on the clouds, seeing as they weren't solid, but the laws of science also said that she shouldn't be able to fly and... well._

_So, she swooped down, a little rusty due to her inexperience when it came to flying. She descended quicker than she had anticipated, then panicked and shot back up, losing her sense of direction and veering off to the side._

Oh God. _She thought_. This is how I'm going to die. Falling to my death after a failed attempt at flying _._

_Luckily, she managed to control herself, setting herself back on a straight path as she clumsily headed for the cloud below her. She braced herself as the cloud came within touching distance._

_Her landing was less than graceful. She tried to land on her feet, but fell short, instead skidding on her stomach across the white fluffiness. The impact caused her to release an 'umph!', and she was glad that no one was around to hear it. She glided across the cloud for a few metres - who would have thought that clouds would be so slide-y - then finally stopped right before the edge. That was close._

_Emma rolled onto her back and then sat up, feeling the cloud beneath her with her hands. It felt like candyfloss, but wetter. But it wasn't wet. It was the strangest feeling in the world, and Emma sat there for a good five minutes to try and figure out a way to describe it. She couldn't, so she gave up and lied down._

_...She was lying on a cloud. How awesome was that!_

"Emma!"

_Did someone just shout her? No, that was impossible. There was no one else here._

_Emma was suddenly filled with the desire to taste the cloud. Were clouds edible? She'd soon find out. She picked a handful of the cloud and brought it to her face. She sniffed it first, but it was scentless. So, she tasted it.._

_It tasted like milkshake! She ate more and more and more._

_"_ Emma! _"_

_OK, someone definitely shouted her. She looked around for any sign of the person calling her, but there was no one around. It was just her and the clouds._

_"_ Emma! _"_

_"Regina?"_

_It was unmistakably Regina's voice. But what was Regina doing on the clouds? Could she fly too? And where was she? Emma couldn't see her anywhere._

_"_ Emma! Wake up! _"_

* * *

"Ow!" Emma complained, bringing her hand up to her face, where something had just hit her. Hard.

She opened her eyes, noticing a pillow lying a few feet away from her, which must have been the thing that just collided with her head. Then she looked up, and saw Regina on the bed, peering down at her with an annoyed look on her face. Probably the thrower.

"What the hell are you doing?" Emma asked, her mind trying to readjust to her surroundings. One minute she'd been on a cloud, now she was in her bedroom at the cabin in Storybrooke. She'd be lying if she said that she wasn't disappointed with the change of location.

Regina brought a finger to her lips in a 'shhh' motion, then mouthed something that Emma couldn't make out. Her eyes were still heavy with sleep, and her vision was slightly blurred. She blinked quickly, trying to make her surroundings clear, thankful when Regina became more than just blurred colours.

"What?" Emma whispered. Why was she having to whisper?

Regina mouthed something again. Did she say 'your parents'?

Emma frowned in confusion, but before she could question it, there was a knock at the door, quickly followed by her mother's voice. "Honey, can we come in yet?"

Emma's eyes widened when she realised what was happening. Her mom was outside the door, wanting to come inside, but if she did then she would see that Emma was lying on the floor instead of in bed with her fiancee, then her family would definitely know that something was up.

Emma's mouth formed an 'o' as she realised why Regina was looking so frustrated, and why she couldn't make any noise, but then her mother knocked on the door again and Emma finally forced herself into action. "Just a minute!"

She jumped up as quickly as she could, threw her pillow and the pillow that Regina had thrown at her onto the bed, then shoved her sheets under the bed, out of sight. When she looked up again, Regina was straightening the pillows, so Emma jumped onto the bed next to her.

She hastily tucked herself under the covers and leaned back against the headboard, as if she'd been in the bed all night. She was surprised when Regina grabbed her arm and draped it over her shoulders, so that Regina was tucked against her side. She frowned down at the brunette for a moment and, when Regina saw her giving her that look, she could have sworn that the brunette blushed.

"I'm your fiancee, right?" Regina whispered, as if trying to explain why she had wrapped Emma's arm around herself.

"Right." Emma confirmed, then pulled Regina closer to her. She had a flashback to her dream the night before, where she had woken up next to Regina, and felt her heart speed up a little. "You can come in now!" Emma shouted to her mom.

The door opened a second later, revealing Mary Margaret and David. They walked into the bedroom, both looking slightly confused, probably because they'd had to wait outside for so long. Emma smiled sheepishly at them and said. "Sorry. We weren't decent."

"Oh..." Mary Margaret nodded in understanding, before a horrified look appeared on her face. "Oh!" She blushed and looked at David, whose eyes were wide and he looked mortified.

Emma frowned, not knowing what she had said to make them look so... oh! When she had said that she and Regina weren't decent, it sounded like they had been... making love. And she had just told her parents that. Her parents thought that she and Regina had just been having sex.

The thought made her blush too, and she felt Regina stiffen slightly and turn her head away from her, so she couldn't see her face. She wanted to clarify to her parents that she had  _not_  been screwing Regina before they'd come in, but that would have made things more awkward, and Emma didn't want that.

"What's up?" She said instead, stroking Regina's arm with her fingers.

Mary Margaret cleared her throat, recovering from the idea that her daughter had been sleeping with her fiancee moments ago. "Right. We have a proposition for you."

"What kind of proposition?" Emma asked.

"We know that you two need to go back to New York in a few days," David began. "And that you're both really busy with work and stuff, so we don't know when you'll be able to come up to visit us again."

"I'm sure we'll find time soon." Emma reassured them.

"But we don't know how soon." David reminded her. "Which is why..."

"We want you to get married here." Mary Margaret interrupted excitedly. "On Sunday."

Emma's mouth dropped open in surprise. She hadn't been expecting that at all. She felt Regina stiffen even more and squeezed her comfortingly. "Uh..." Emma laughed nervously. "We're driving back to New York on Sunday, though."

"We're sure you can postpone it by a day." David said.

"Even if we could..." Emma looked to the side, her heart rate increasing with her nerves. "This is your weekend, not ours. It's your thirtieth wedding anniversary, we don't want to steal your thunder."

"We've had twenty nine wedding anniversaries." David said, wrapping his arm around Mary Margaret. "And there'd be no better way to celebrate out thirtieth than by watching our daughter get married."

"Besides," Mary Margaret added. "We'll be celebrating our anniversary tomorrow, then the next day, you two can get married. It's perfect."

Emma swallowed and tried to think of a way out of this. She had only supposed to be engaged to Regina so that she could get a fiancee visa, not actually  _marry_  her. Or, even if they had had to get married, then it would have been at some city hall in New York with no friends or family. Just a business transaction, nothing more. No ceremony, just the signing of papers, then leave. And it would have been weeks away, as a last resort, not days away.

For them to actually get married, in Storybrooke, in front of Emma's parents and brother and friends... it made it so  _real_. And Sunday was so soon, just a couple of days away, not nearly enough time for Emma to prepare her psyche to marry Regina.

Faking an engagement was one thing, but a marriage...

To fake an engagement, they just had to tell people that they were engaged. But you couldn't fake a marriage. You actually had to  _get_  married, sign the papers, make it legally binding. It would be official. They would have to go through a legal process to end their fake marriage. Emma would be  _divorced_. She only wanted to get married once, to the person that she would spend the rest of her life with, she didn't want to be a divorcee.

She couldn't marry Regina.

"Sunday is only two days away." Emma said. "That's not enough time to plan a wedding."

"Of course it is!" Mary Margaret said optimistically. "We know everyone in town, we can get some favours, pull a few strings. Regina can call her friends and family and get them to come down for the weekend. They can stay in Granny's."

"That's not necessary." Regina said quietly, awkwardly. "There's no one for me to invite."

Mary Margaret tilted her head sympathetically. "Well, everyone in Storybrooke will be here for you too. You're part of the family now."

Regina shook her head, obviously as eager to get out of this as Emma was. "This really isn't necessary. It will be rushed if we get married so soon. We really don't mind waiting for a few months, do we, Emma?"

"Not at all." Emma shook her head in agreement.

Mary Margaret sighed. "Ultimately, it's your decision, but... I,  _we_ , really want to see our daughter get married to her soulmate. And we want you to get married here, in Storybrooke, like _we_  did thirty years ago. It was the happiest day of our lives, and we really want you two to have that too."

"But..." Emma tried one last time.

"It's really important to your mother and me." David interjected.

"I... " Emma sighed and looked down at Regina, who lifted a shoulder as if to say 'it's up to you'. "Fine." Emma said through gritted teeth.

Mary Margaret's face lit up excitedly. "Really? You'll get married here?"

Emma nodded her head, offering a smile. It was worth it to see the way her parents grinned and hugged each other. "Thank you so much for doing this. Thank you." Mary Margaret said. "I'll sort out  _everything._  For now, you two get ready. Emma, August wants to see you; and Regina, I thought that we could take a trip into town this morning. I'd like to get to know you a little better, and well, you're going to need a wedding dress."

Mary Margaret continued smiling and laughing and even jumped up and down enthusiastically before David pulled out out of the room to give Emma and Regina time to get ready.

As soon as the door closed, Emma dropped her head back, so it hit the headboard with a thud.

* * *

Regina slid her foot into her heel and stood up, smoothing down her shirt. She was ready to go wedding dress shopping, apparently, which was something she never thought she'd do. Regina had given up hope of getting married a long time ago, but it seemed that she'd have a special day after all.

It didn't bother her that she and Emma would have to get married, but she knew that it bothered the blonde. Emma still had hope that she would meet The One and live happily ever after, and Regina knew that Emma wanted to save herself for that person. It was a sweet notion, but it was going to be ruined when they got married on Sunday.

To Regina, this was just business. Getting married was just signing a contract, one that would be terminated in a few months and be done with. But she didn't particularly want to marry someone who didn't want to marry her. It wasn't a nice thought that Emma was being f _orced_  into marrying her, against her own free will.

Just one look at Emma showed Regina how much she didn't want to do this. She was currently standing on the balcony, her hands tightly gripping the rail, taking deep breaths. It pained Regina to see the blonde so distressed, especially when she knew that she didn't have to be.

Regina sighed and made her way outside, onto the balcony, and stood next to Emma overlooking the garden.

"Are you OK?" She asked, as a way of breaking the tension.

"Oh, I'm fantastic." Emma said sarcastically. "I'm about to get married, right? Dream come true. The happiest day of my life."

Regina put her hand on top of Emma's, trying to be comforting, but her nerves made it more uncomfortable, if anything. "Emma..."

"Don't say it, Regina." Emma said sternly, her eyes still looking straight ahead, not at Regina. "Don't say 'you don't have to do this', because you've tried that already, and I've told you that we're going through with this plan."

"That was before we knew we'd have to get married."

"Do  _you_  want to call this off?" Emma asked, turning to Regina accusingly, pulling her hand from underneath the brunette's in the process.

"No, I just-"

"Then we're getting married." Emma said, then faltered.

She sagged, her shoulders slouching and her face dropping. She looked to the side, and ran a hand through her hair, a look of shocked realisation appearing on her face. "Holy crap..." She breathed. "We're getting married."

"I know." Regina said with an uncomfortable laugh. "I bet you never thought you'd see the day that you married your boss. Who, up until a week ago, you called 'the Evil Queen'."

Emma let out an uncomfortable laugh. "Yeah... sorry about that."

"It's fine... I kind of liked it. Is that weird?"

"Slightly." Emma admitted, then laughed again. "Why am I not surprised that you would enjoy being called 'the Evil Queen?'"

Regina just shook her head with a smile. "If it makes you feel any better, I never thought I'd see the day that I got married  _at all_."

Emma frowned. "Why?"

Regina lifted a shoulder. "Who would want to marry the Evil Queen?"

Emma frowned even more, clearly not agreeing with what Regina was saying. "You're not evil, that's just a dumb nickname. And I think anyone would be _lucky_  to marry you."

Regina raised an eyebrow, never thinking she'd see the day that someone said that to her. "Then you're about to become a very lucky woman." She joked, making Emma laugh.

"I guess I am." Emma shrugged. "I'm glad that, if I have to pretend to marry someone, that it's someone like you."

Regina raised an eyebrow, willing Emma to continue. "Is that so?"

Emma nodded with a smile. "You're smart and funny and  _so hot_. I mean, man you're stunning. Anyone can see that I'm punching above my weight with you." Regina smiled, her heart hammering at the thought of Emma finding her beautiful. "I could be forced into marrying someone _a lot_  worse than you. Like, a sixty year old drug dealer or something."

"I suppose that's true." Regina admitted.

"But..." Emma scratched the back of her neck and looked away. "I still thought that, if my parents saw me getting married, it'd be with my soulmate. It seems cruel to make them watch me marry-"

"Me?" Regina finished, feeling slightly hurt at that comment. It was cruel to make people watch their daughter marry her?

Emma tilted her head to the side and looked at Regina. "I obviously don't mean that it's cruel to make people think I'm marrying  _you,_  as if it's going to be hard for people to watch us get married because you're a horrible person. You're _not_  a horrible person. I just mean that it's cruel to make people watch me marry someone who isn't my soulmate. They're going to be so happy for us, and then I'll have to tell them that we're getting a divorce, and it'll break their hearts."

Regina willed the hurt feeling inside her to disappear, but some of it still lingered. "Well, maybe one day your parents will see you marry your 'true love'." Why did the thought of Emma marrying someone else make her feel slightly sick? "But at least they'll  _think_  that that's what they're seeing on Sunday. They'll still be happy when they see us get married."

"I suppose." Emma conceded quietly. "I should stop thinking about the future. I should stop thinking about all the hurt that I'm going to cause them, and think about how happy they'll be."

"Exactly." Regina agreed.

"I'm sorry if I've offended you." Emma said. "By being so upset about the fact we have to get married. It's nothing personal."

"So you've said." Regina shrugged nonchalantly, trying to ignore the part of her that  _was_  slightly offended. "Or, at least, implied."

"This is just.." Emma ran her hands through her hair and sighed. " _So_  messed up, isn't it? It's the kind of thing you watch in movies. Stuff like this doesn't  _actually_  happen."

"Well, apparently, it does." Regina informed her.

Emma shook her head. "When did my life become a movie plot?" Then she smiled. "Actually, I think I know the answer to that. I believe it all began when you told Mr. Gold that you were marrying your assistant, a.k.a  _me_. Without even consulting me first."

Regina looked down and smiled, embarrassed. "I didn't have time to do things like-"

"Get my consent?" Emma said with a cheeky smile.

"It sounds awful when you say it like that, dear. You could have said no."

"I know." Emma acknowledged. "And I was going to, but... I'm glad that I didn't."

"You are?"

Emma thought about it for a moment, then nodded confidently. "I've gotten to know you a bit more, and that never would have happened if I hadn't agreed to this plan. I could never regret the thing that made me  _know_  you."

Regina smiled widely and tucked some hair behind her ear. "Well, I'm glad that you don't regret your decision."

Emma smiled and nodded, then checked her watch. "We should probably go downstairs soon." She said. "I believe August wants to speak to me, and you've got to buy a wedding dress."

"Indeed." Regina nodded.

Emma bit the inside of her lip as she held her hand out and Regina took it, interlacing their fingers. It was getting less and less weird doing things like this. It was beginning to feel natural, and Regina didn't know whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Let's get this show on the road." Emma said, beginning to pull Regina back into the cabin.


	13. Chapter 13

"I've found the perfect venue for the ceremony on Sunday." Mary Margaret announced as she and Regina walked down Main Street, towards a shop that sold wedding dresses.

"I'm surprised that there's anywhere available on such short notice." Regina commented.

"Well... it's not an official venue." Mary Margaret admitted. Then, upon seeing Regina's confused frown, she continued. "I thought that you could get married in our barn."

"Your _barn_?" Regina echoed, not entirely sure how she felt about getting married in a barn, and also a little surprised that the Nolan's _had_  a barn. She'd never seen one on their property.

"I know how it sounds, but trust me, it's lovely. My father used to keep animals when I was a little girl, but the barn has been unused for over a decade. It's been completely refurbished, and you don't have to worry about it smelling of hay or anything, because it doesn't. I'm not saying that you  _have_  to get married there, but you could go and take a look at it this afternoon to see what you think. It's near the lake. It really is lovely and cosy and I think it will be perfect for you and Emma."

"It sounds great." Regina said, though she was still unable to imagine herself getting married in a barn. On second thought, she was still unable to imagine herself getting married, period.

She had come to accept the fact that she would spend her life alone, and now suddenly she was getting married? Yes, it was a fake marriage, but it was still a marriage. As a little girl, she had pictured her wedding day. She would have a long, white dress; a wedding cake with the bride and groom figurines on top; her mother would be weeping tears of joy on the front row; her father would be walking her down the aisle, where she would greet the man of her dreams, her knight in shining armour, her true love.

Oh, how the reality could not be farther away from that dream.

As she had gotten older, that fantasy had changed, step-by-step. First of all, she had excluded her weeping mother, because she didn't want Cora ruining her wedding day. Then, she had changed the man of her dreams to the  _woman_  of her dreams. Then her father had passed away. Eventually, she had scrapped the whole idea. She had lost faith in love and decided that some people were just not destined to have a soul mate to live happily ever after with.

It had been so long that she had imaged her wedding day that now she couldn't imagine one at all.

"We're here." Mary Margaret said, bringing Regina out of her reverie as she stopped in front of a store.

Mary Margaret led the way, opening the door and stepping inside, then held it open for Regina. It was only when Regina entered the shop that things really started to feel surreal. White dresses were everywhere, mannequins wearing wedding dresses and veils were scattered around the room, posters of the perfect brides and grooms were plastered on the walls. This was actually happening, Regina realised. She was getting married to Emma Swan. She was going to wear a wedding dress and have a ceremony in a barn. A _real_  ceremony. She was going to be a bride. Why was she only now realising how much she wanted this to be real? How much she _really_  wanted to get married? Not necessarily to Emma, but she wanted to spend her life with someone. And, well, if that person  _were_  Emma then she wouldn't be completely averse to it.

Why was she thinking about marriage with Emma? They weren't even really dating; Emma was her assistant, for God's sake.

A woman appeared from behind a rack of dresses, smiling at Regina and Mary Margaret, unaware of Regina's internal freak out. "Ms. Nolan?" She said, then after receiving a nod, turned around. "Follow me."

The woman led them to the back of the shop, where there was a separate room. It had a few racks of wedding dresses, a couch, a table with a bottle of champagne and some champagne flutes, a large full-body mirror, and a changing room off to the side with a curtain for some privacy.

"You can try on any of these dresses," The woman said, indicating to the racks. "Help yourself to the champagne, and if you need anything else, just give me a shout."

Regina nodded her head and watched the woman leave, then turned to some of the dresses. There were so many. Some long, some short; some tight, some flowing; some lace, some frilly.

"Wow, there's quite a selection here." Mary Margaret commented, walking over to a few dresses and beginning to sift through them.

"We might be here a while." Regina commented.

"It's OK." Mary Margaret assured her. "We have time. Besides, I've already made some calls and made a lot of progress in planning the wedding."

Regina turned to her future mother-in-law in surprise. They had only agreed to have the wedding in Storybrooke a couple of hours ago, so how much progress could she have really made. "Really?"

"Yes. I've ordered flowers, hired a caterer, called all of our friends and family to invite them... speaking of which, are you sure there's no one that you'd like to invite?"

Regina swallowed and turned around. "I'm sure."

"That's a shame." Mary Margaret said, with some sympathy in her voice. Regina hated it when people pitied her, and almost rolled her eyes when she heard Mary Margaret. "Well, our family is  _your_ family now."

Regina closed her eyes and tried to keep her heart from racing too much. It had been so long since she had had a proper family, and just hearing someone say that she had one made her feel all warm inside. She had to remind herself that none of this was real, that it was all a charade. Telling herself that broke her heart.

"Oh, this is a beautiful dress." Mary Margaret said chirpily, having no idea how her words had affected Regina.

Regina turned around to look at the dress that the other woman had picked out, and immediately wrinkled her nose in disgust at the frilly atrocity. No words needed to be said, for her face said it all. Mary Margaret gave the dress another look, as if she couldn't see what was wrong with it, then shrugged and put it back.

"So, do you think that Emma will want to wear a dress, or a suit?" Mary Margaret asked conversationally.

"I don't know." Regina admitted. "Probably a suit. You know how much she hates dresses."

"Hmm." Mary Margaret agreed, though her disapproval was clear. "I don't see why she hates them, though. She looks so stunning when she wears dresses. I bet you could convince her to wear one. You persuaded her to buy one the other day, just by telling her how good she looked in it."

Regina pictured Emma in the pink dress again and smiled. She really had looked so stunning. And then she had kissed her and... God, she was smiling like an idiot now.

She would love to see Emma in a wedding dress, but it was something that she struggled to picture. A suit would be much more the blonde's style. It would be what Emma was comfortable in, so that's what she should wear.

"I don't want Emma to wear something to make me happy." Regina admitted. "It's her wedding day too, and she should be comfortable and happy. If she wants to wear a suit, then she can wear a suit, and I'll support her decision. She looks beautiful in whatever she wears, so she may as well wear something that she enjoys wearing."

Regina expected to hear Mary Margaret agree with her, but she was greeted by silence. She shrugged and carried on perusing the dresses, waiting for her future mother-in-law to speak again. Eventually, she decided to look over her shoulder, just to make sure that Mary Margaret was still in the room, and also to make sure she hadn't collapsed or something.

She was relieved and confused when she saw the other woman, standing next to the rack of wedding dresses across the room, but looking at Regina. She had tears in her eyes and a hand on her chest.

"Mary Margaret, are you OK?" Regina asked in concern, turning around properly and taking a couple of steps towards the other woman.

"I'm fine." Mary Margaret assured her. "It's just... I'm so happy that you and Emma found each other. I mean, you really care about her happiness, and you really care about  _her_. It's every mother's dream for their child to meet their soulmate, and I think that Emma's found hers in you. I'm just so thrilled and proud, and I'm so glad that I got to meet you."

Regina was moved by what Mary Margaret said, and couldn't stop herself from smiling, even when the other woman crossed the room and hugged her. Yet there was still a part of her that panicked, because she was Regina Mills, and she couldn't just let herself be happy for even a second. Part of her panicked because she knew that this woman was going to be heartbroken when she found out that Emma and Regina had 'broken up', and found out that Emma hadn't met her soulmate.

And part of her panicked because she knew that  _she_  was going to be heartbroken when all this was over, because Mary Margaret was right: she did care about Emma. She didn't want to go back to just being Emma's boss, and she knew that doing so was going to hurt.

She was going to have to push that out of her mind and not think about it, because her heart was starting to break already.

* * *

Emma didn't know why August wanted to talk to her. Maybe it was to apologise for the other night, when he had blown the fact that Regina didn't know that she was allergic to kiwi  _way_  out of proportion. It was clear he had been becoming suspicious, but Emma hoped she had put him straight. Still, maybe he wanted to apologise for not being completely supportive of his sister and the woman that she 'loved'.

That's all that Emma could think of as August led her onto the back deck and nodded for her to take a seat in one of the deck chairs. She sat down in the chair next to her brother, sensing that there was an awkward tension between the two of them that hadn't been there before. Maybe that's why he wanted to speak to her: to iron out any awkwardness between them.

Emma put down the glass of lemonade she had been holding, then turned to August. "So? What's up?"

"Before I say this, I need you to promise me that you'll hear me out, and that you won't get mad." August said quietly, nervously.

Ominous, Emma thought. Her brother telling her not to get mad pretty much guaranteed that she wasn't going to like what he was going to say. "I won't get mad." Emma agreed. "As long as you don't give me a reason to."

August sighed, blowing out his cheeks as he did. "Alright." He accepted. "I guess that's the best I'm going to get from you, right?"

Emma picked up her lemonade and began to move the glass in a circle so that the liquid swished, just to give her hands something to do. She was starting to get nervous about what her brother was going to say. "Just spit it out, August. Prolonging this isn't helping either of us."

"OK." August nodded and rubbed his hands together. "I don't think that you should marry Regina."

Emma paused her movements and looked at her brother. Regina was a touchy subject for them, ever since the other night when August brought up his suspicions. It was brave of him to bring her up. "Why?" Emma asked, worried that she didn't hide her nervousness very well.

"I have a bad feeling about her." August admitted.

Emma opened her mouth, intending to argue, but August held a hand up to stop her. "Just hear me out, OK?" He said. "I wanted to like Regina, you have to believe that. She's your fiancee, so of course I wanted to like her and support the two of you. But ever since she's been here I've had a bad feeling about her. There's just something about her that isn't right. She doesn't seem sincere to me. I've seen the two of you together, and I don't think that she cares about you as much as you care about her."

"And what are you basing that notion on?" Emma said rather bitterly, putting down her glass so that she could give August her full attention.

"I don't know... she's just more distant than you are; less engaged. Whenever she acts affectionate, she just comes across as awkward, like she doesn't want to be doing it."

"Maybe she just doesn't like displaying affection publicly." Emma shrugged.

"Maybe." August conceded. "But that doesn't explain the phone call that I overheard."

"What phone call?" Emma asked with a frown.

"She was on the phone to her sister or something, I don't know. But she said that you were her fiancee 'for all intents and purposes'. What does that even mean?"

Emma swallowed, understanding more why August was suspicious. Still, she was annoyed at him for bringing this up. "You shouldn't have been listening to a private conversation."

August narrowed his eyes incredulously. " _That's_  what you're bothered about? Emma, what Regina said suggests that she's using you. That you're not her fiancee because she loves you, but for another reason. I don't know what that reason is, but it's still completely unacceptable that she would do that. She's playing you and all you care about is that I found out by eavesdropping?"

Emma didn't know whether or not to be relieved that August only thought that Regina was lying instead of both of them. Still, the fact that he knew that their relationship wasn't real on both sides wasn't a desirable situation to be in. "You're wrong, August."

"No I'm not." August insisted. "Trust me, I wish that I were, but I'm not. I know that you love Regina. I can see it in the way that you look at her; you get this light in your eye, and you treat her like she's something precious. But she doesn't treat you like that, which is why I believe that she doesn't love you, and you shouldn't marry her."

Emma scowled at her brother, annoyed that he was suggesting that she cared about Regina more than Regina cared about her. Honestly, it wasn't August that she was annoyed at; it was herself. She was annoyed that she let herself care about Regina when it was clear to everyone that Regina didn't care about her at all.

"She  _does_  care about me." Emma argued, unsure if she was trying to make August feel better, or herself.

"No, she doesn't!" August insisted. "She's bad news, Emma. She doesn't treat you like you deserve to be treated, and then add on that suspicious phone call. Let's not forget that she barely knows you. She thought that you liked Nsync, she didn't know that you were allergic to kiwi."

Emma rolled her eyes. "God, are you still going on about that?"

"Yes, because she should know that!" August shook his head and ran a hand down his face. "I'm giving you facts here, Emma. Facts that show that Regina doesn't care about you as much as she wants you to believe. I know that that hurts you, but you need to wake up and smell the coffee before you get your heartbroken even more."

"You're out of line." Emma said, standing up and shaking her head. "You're my brother, you're supposed to want me to be happy, but instead you're trying to break up me and my fiancee."

"I'm telling you this  _because_  I want you to be happy."

"No, you're not." Emma insisted. "I don't know why you're doing this, but you need to stop! I'm marrying Regina, and that's final. If you can't find a way to be supportive, then I don't think that you should come to my wedding on Sunday."

"Woah, woah, woah." August said in disbelief, also standing up. "So, you're actually going through with this wedding, and not just that, but you're also  _uninviting_  me?"

"Yes." Emma said bluntly. "I don't want you ruining my wedding day with this... conspiracy theory, or whatever the hell it is."

"It's the truth, that's what it is." August said. He took a step towards Emma and spoke slowly. "You know what? When Regina gets whatever it is that she wants, then leaves you and breaks your heart, don't say that I didn't warn you."

Emma shook her head. "Go to hell, August."

She felt tears threatening to fill her eyes, so she turned around and walked away, determined not to let August see her cry. After entering the house, she slammed the door for good measure, making sure her brother knew just how pissed off she was.

* * *

"Eeeeeek!" Mary Margaret squealed for the hundredth time as they pulled onto the dirt track that led up to the cabin. Regina winced at the piercing sound, causing the other woman to laugh a little. "Sorry. I'm just so excited for this wedding. Your dress is so beautiful, and I just know that Emma will be blown away by how stunning you look in it."

Regina smiled to herself. She had found the perfect wedding dress. It was white (obviously), and long, with a lace bodice. It was stunning, and Regina had fallen in love with it as soon as she had laid eyes on it. She couldn't wait to wear it on Sunday, and she couldn't wait for Emma to see her wearing it.

"Sunday is going to be perfect. We just need to find something for Emma to wear now." Mary Margaret said. "And, of course, I have a lot more planning to do. Oh! That reminds me, I still need to find a cake. Do you have any preferences?"

Regina bit her lip and thought for a moment. "I suppose my favourite is red velvet."

"Emma loves that too! I'll see what I can do."

The house finally came into view, as well as the garage next to it. It looked like the door to the garage was open, and Regina narrowed her eyes for a better view. Yes, it was definitely open, and just as she had thought, Emma was inside doing something. It was only when the car stopped that Regina could see what she was doing. The blonde was beating the hell out of a punching bag.

Regina unbuckled her seat belt and got out of the car, then walked around to the side closest to Emma. The blonde was punching the bag like her life depended on it, and it made Regina slightly concerned.

"Emma!" She shouted, but went ignored. "Emma!" She tried again, before realising that Emma had headphones in. She sighed and took a step forward, intending to go and ask her if everything was OK. However, she felt a hand on her arm, and turned to see Mary Margaret shaking her head.

"Leave her." Mary Margaret said quietly. "Something is bothering her. It's best to let her get out her frustration, trust me."

She then turned around and walked towards the cabin, leaving Regina to trail behind wondering what on earth was wrong with Emma. The blonde had been absolutely fine when they'd left, and now she was attacking a punching bag like it had just insulted her family. She wanted to know what had happened, but maybe Mary Margaret was right: she should wait until Emma had blown out some steam before asking her.

Regina and Mary Margaret walked into the cabin, and the pixie-haired woman wasted no time in rushing to the living room, where David and August were sitting on the couch watching TV. Regina followed, hoping to find out what was going on. She lingered in the doorway and watched as Mary Margaret stood in front of the television with her hands on her hips.

"What did you do?" Mary Margaret said accusingly.

"What do you mean?" David asked, moving his head to the side to try and see the screen that his wife was blocking.

"Emma is about to wear a hole in that old punching bag in the garage." Mary Margaret informed the two men.

David and August looked at each other, then David shrugged. "Ask your son."

Mary Margaret looked to August and raised her eyebrows, as if saying 'well?'

August sighed. "I just gave her my opinion on something, and she didn't like it."

"What did you give your opinion on?" Mary Margaret asked.

August's eyes flicked to Regina, then her looked away. "It doesn't matter."

Mary Margaret looked at Regina questioningly, making her feel a little awkward. She backed away, suddenly feeling unwelcome. "I'm going to go take a shower." Regina said. "I've tried on a lot of wedding dresses today, I feel like I need to wash them off."

She laughed at herself uncomfortably, and received a smile from Mary Margaret, but she didn't stick around to let anyone else say anything. She turned and walked to the stairs, hearing hushed voices beginning to argue behind her.

She headed straight to her room, then straight into the bathroom, where she stripped out of her clothes. She got into the shower, sighing as the warm water hit her. The way that August had looked at her give her the impression that he had spoken to Emma about her. Maybe he was still suspicious that they weren't a real couple. Maybe he had grilled Emma about it. Could that be what Emma was so annoyed about? No, surely not. They weren't even a real couple, Emma wouldn't let herself get so affected by her brother not completely supporting them.

But what else could be bothering Emma? Was she still scared about that fact that they had to get married? But, again, Emma had been fine when Regina had left, and would she really have gotten herself worked up like that in such a short period of time?

After a few minutes in the shower, Regina felt like her body was clean enough and her head was clear enough for her to get out. She turned off the stream, then stepped onto the bathroom floor. She reached for the towel, but her hand it the cold metal of the towel rack instead. She frowned and turned, then realised that she hadn't brought in a clean towel with her from the linen closet. She looked around for something else to dry herself with, but there wasn't anything that she could use.

With a sigh, she walked over to the bathroom door and opened it, then took a step forward.

_Slap._

The unmistakable sound of skin hitting skin reached her ears as she felt her naked body hit somebody else's very naked body. The blonde hair that she saw in the corner of her eye left no doubt in her mind who it was. She closed her eyes and bit her lip, wondering why the universe had to do this to her.

* * *

Emma walked into the bedroom that she and Regina were sharing, wiping some sweat from her brow as she did.

Whenever she was stressed or troubled, exercise always helped to soothe her. Boxing was her favourite sport, as she got to picture that the punching bag was the source of her stress (in this case, August), then beat the shit out of them. After a couple of hits, she had felt guilty about picturing August, so she had stopped that and just carried on punching and punching until her arms were too achy for her to carry on.

Now she was exhausted and sweaty, but at least she felt better about what August had said. The thought that Regina didn't care about her as much as she cared about Regina had hurt her, and she needed to release some of that, but now she felt better. Slightly.

The bedroom was empty, so Emma assumed that Regina was still out wedding dress shopping. Good. That would give her some time to have a quick shower before Regina returned, then they could have lunch and finally go canoeing.

Emma pulled her hair-tie out of her hair, letting her hair fall freely. She could feel that it was wet with sweat around the edges, and realised just how much of a sweat she had worked up. Seriously, her whole body felt sticky with it. She wrinkled her nose in disgust and pulled her t-shirt over her head, sighing when it got tangled with the headphones she had been wearing. She pulled the headphones out, the silence making her ears ring, then threw her t-shirt and phone onto the bed.

She then pulled off her sports bra, throwing that in any direction. Next her sweatpants came off, again she threw them away, with no particular location in mind. Finally, her boy shorts came off. These, she put in the hamper. She didn't want Regina to come home to find her dirty underwear lying around.

She walked over to the bathroom door, stopping at the linen closet to grab a towel. After closing the door to the linen closet, she turned to the bathroom, only realising when it was too late that the bathroom door was opening and a naked Regina was emerging.

_Slap._

Her body collided with Regina's; naked flesh hitting equally naked, and wet, flesh. Regina stumbled backwards from the momentum, so Emma instinctively reached for her to stop her from falling, resulting in them both having their arms wrapped around each other. It was a naked hug, Emma realised. A naked hug where Emma's leg had ended up between Regina's legs, so she could feel Regina's... private parts on her thigh.

Emma could feel Regina's breasts pressed against her own, and her hands placed gently on her waist, and it was making her heart race. She was even getting a warm feeling in her abdomen, which was an awkward reaction to have to her boss. But she couldn't help it. Regina was the most beautiful woman in the world, and every inch of her naked body was currently pressed against Emma's.

They stood like that for a moment, both too scared to move or speak. As things were, they couldn't actually see each other's bodies because they were pressed together, but if they moved apart...

"Ms. Swan." Regina finally said through gritted teeth, her voice wavering slightly in either anger or fear. "What the hell are you doing?"

"What am _I_  doing?" Emma asked incredulously. "What are  _you_  doing? Why are you so wet?"

"I've just had a shower. Why are  _you_  wet?"

"It's... sweat." Emma said sheepishly.

Emma was immediately pushed away, making her stumble backwards and fall. She hit the floor with an 'umph', then saw Regina's wet and naked body rushing to the linen closet for a towel. She wanted to look away, but she couldn't bring herself to. Regina's skin was so smooth and perfect, her curves, her breasts, her ass... Emma was practically mesmerised.

"Your sweat?" Regina said in disgust. "I've just had a shower and now I'm covered in your sweat?"

Regina finally had her modesty covered and turned around, then sighed as soon as she saw Emma. "Will you please cover yourself, Ms. Swan?"

Emma sighed and sat up, wrapping her towel around herself. Though she couldn't prevent the smug smile from appearing on her face when she realised that Regina wasn't looking away. "Stop calling me 'Ms. Swan'."

"You've just thrown your naked body on me and  _that's_  what you have an issue with?"

"I didn't throw my body on you!" Emma insisted. "I didn't see you!"

"Oh, sure." Regina said, scepticism lacing her voice.

Emma sputtered for a moment, wanting to argue that she did  _not_  purposely fling her naked body at Regina's, but she was unable to form a coherent thought. Eventually, she sighed and stopped her goldfish impression. After taking a deep breath, she tried again. "How do I know that  _you_  didn't throw yourself at  _me_?"

Regina scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. Don't flatter yourself Ms. Sw-" Emma glared at the brunette, making her correct herself. " _Emma._ "

"Rude." Emma said, looking slightly offended by the comment.

"Oh, come on. Don't pout like that." Regina said, making Emma suck her bottom lip back in. She hadn't even realised that she'd been pouting until Regina had said it. "I must say, this isn't how I imagined this week turning out." Regina admitted.

"Tell me about it. I never thought I'd see my boss naked."

Regina let her head fall backwards at Emma's words, her face turning into an expression of embarrassment. "Let's never talk about this again." She said decisively.

"Agreed." Emma nodded, then forced herself to stand up. She winced when her back hurt a little, but it was nothing that she couldn't handle. "Now, I'm going to go for a shower."

"And I'm going to put some clothes on."

Regina watched as Emma walked into the bathroom, and it was only when the door closed behind the blonde that she let herself fall back against the wall with a groan. All she could see in her mind was Emma's naked body, and, annoyingly, all she wanted was to see it in person again.

It was so much easier to deny her attraction to the blonde before, but now there was no mistaking it. She could only hope that Emma hadn't noticed the way that she couldn't tear her eyes away from her body, no matter how hard she had tried. She would be mortified if Emma knew that she had a huge crush on her.

Crush? God, what was she, fifteen?

Regina pushed off the wall when she heard the shower turn on in the other room. She had to be dressed by the time Emma came back out, so she ignored her embarrassment and began rummaging through the drawers for some clothes.


	14. Chapter 14

The bedroom was empty by the time that Emma was out of the shower, and she'd be lying if she said that she wasn't relieved. She didn't want to have to put up with the awkwardness that would be sure to surround herself and Regina after their naked run-in.

She quickly got dressed and went downstairs, not wanting to keep her family waiting for her. When she stepped into the kitchen, she instantly noticed the tension in the room. August was standing by the counter and didn't even look at her as she entered. If he was still mad about their earlier argument, then that was fine, because so was she. But August was also stubbornly making a point of avoiding Regina, choosing to eat his sandwich standing on the opposite side of the kitchen, instead of just sitting next to Regina at the breakfast bar.

When Emma looked at Regina, who was also eating a sandwich, she noticed that Regina had actually looked up as she'd walked in, unlike her brother. However, as soon as they made eye contact, Regina looked away again, looking at some crumbs on her plate as if they were more interesting than Emma.

Emma sighed, knowing that the reason Regina was avoiding eye contact was because of what had happened earlier. Emma wanted to tell the brunette that the fact they had seen each other naked didn't have to make things weird between them, but that wasn't really an option with present company.

Said company included Mary Margaret and David, who were busy fixing up their own lunches, completely oblivious to the awkwardness in the room. Mary Margaret was humming a tune absent-mindedly, while David turned to Emma.

"Oh good, you're ready." He said with a smile. "We made you a sandwich." He handed Emma a plate with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on it, which she took with a thankful nod of her head.

She took it over to the breakfast bar, and sat down next to Regina, noticing how the brunette didn't bother to acknowledge her presence. Her only reaction was an uncomfortable shift in her seat. Emma sighed and glanced at Regina in slight frustration, but she kept quiet and bit into her sandwich.

"It's only a fifteen-minute walk to the lake." Mary Margaret directed at Regina. "So we're going to walk, rather than taking the car."

"That's fine." Regina agreed politely.

"And the barn is an extra five minutes from there if you want to go and look at it." Mary Margaret suggested, then turned to Emma. "I thought that we could hold the wedding ceremony there."

"Sounds awesome." Emma nodded, pretending not to notice the way that August looked at her with a scowl at the mention of the wedding.

"I just know that you'll love the barn." Mary Margaret continued. "Won't she, Emma?"

"Mmhmm."

"It's gorgeous. As is the lake at this time of year." Mary Margaret let out an excited squeak. "Today is going to be such a lovely day." Emma smiled at her mother's happiness but noticed that the older woman's face fell as she turned to August. "Are you sure you don't want to come canoeing with us? It won't be the same without you."

Emma turned to August, curious as to why he wouldn't be joining them.

"I'm sure." August assured his mother, though glanced at Emma as he said, "I don't feel too great, so I'm just going to rest."

"What a shame." Mary Margaret crossed the room and put a hand on August's forehead, checking for a fever. "I hope you feel better by the wedding on Sunday."

"Hm." August agreed noncommittally.

Emma looked down at her half-eaten sandwich, feeling disappointed that her brother wasn't joining them to go canoeing. Yes, she was mad at August, but he was still her brother and she still cared for him. The two of them had made so many memories at the lake while they were growing up, and she had been looking forward to creating some new ones now. But, if her suspicions were correct, it seemed that August was just making up an excuse to avoid spending time with her, probably due to their earlier argument.

It seemed stupid that Emma had to fall out with her brother over this silly fake proposal. But, so far, the proposal had had many unforeseen consequences. This just added another to the list.

Suddenly not feeling very hungry, Emma pushed her plate away from herself with half of her sandwich still on it.

"Well," David clapped his hands together, grabbing everyone's attention. "Looks like it's just going to be the four of us." He looked from Mary Margaret to Emma to Regina. "So, eat up, and let's get going."

* * *

While the four walked to the lake, Emma and Regina dropped a few paces behind Mary Margaret and David. It was Regina's fault that they were falling behind. While Emma had had the good sense to wear some practical black Converse, Regina had settled on some much more inconvenient sandals. Every few yards, she would have to stop to shake out a stone, making Emma stop with her.

Even though they were walking together, and were pretty much alone since Mary Margaret and David so far ahead, Regina wasn't talking to Emma. Well, aside from barking orders of, "Wait," "Hold on," or, "Hold this."

Emma was getting sick of it. This was supposed to be a nice day, but now her brother wasn't speaking to her and, apparently, neither was Regina. Yes, they had seen each other naked, but did that mean that they couldn't talk to one another or look each other in the eye ever again?

It was with that thought in mind that Emma spoke. "Can we just stop this?" She asked when Regina paused, yet again, to take an invasive stone out of her sandal. She used Emma's arm to keep her balance, which made Emma think:  _Oh, so you won't talk to me, but you'll touch me?_

Regina sighed dramatically while she put her shoe back on. "Emma, if I don't take them out then they'll penetrate my skin, which I really don't want."

"What?" Emma said with a frown, before realising what Regina meant. "No, not that! I mean can we stop this... being uncomfortable around each other. For the past hour, since we saw each other-"

"Don't even say it," Regina stopped her. "We agreed never to speak of it again."

"Alright," Emma agreed, falling back into step next to Regina. "But ever since  _it_  happened, you won't talk to me, or even look at me. Things don't have to be this weird between us. Let's just pretend that it never happened and get back to how things were."

Regina sighed but agreed anyway. "Fine."

"Good."

They walked in silence for a few moments, this one more comfortable than their earlier silence. But then Regina broke it with a question that Emma really wished she hadn't asked. "Did you and August have a fight earlier? While I was in town with your mother?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Emma stated.

"You're the one who said that you wanted to talk," Regina replied petulantly.

"Yes, but not about that!" Emma snapped. "My relationship with my brother is really none of your business, Regina, so butt out."

Regina gave her a look that said that she was slightly offended and not at all appreciative of Emma's reaction. They fell back into a tense silence again, and Emma started wondering if she had been over-the-top. It was just, her conversation with August was a bit of a touchy subject to her, and she didn't really want to talk to anyone about it, but especially not Regina.

What August had said was like a wake-up call to her. Yes, she cared about Regina. She shouldn't, she  _didn't_  until this damn trip, but now she did. She didn't know to what extent, but she definitely cared about the brunette, and even August could see it. But he could also see that Regina didn't reciprocate the feelings, and that hurt Emma.

But the wounded-puppy look on Regina's face made her feel guilty about snapping and made her realise that she had overreacted. She had a soft spot in her heart for Regina, and seeing her looking forlorn is what made Emma sigh and speak again.

"Yes, I had an argument with August." Emma reluctantly divulged.

"What was it about?"

"You."

Regina looked at her with a look that was a mixture of surprise and curiosity, and Emma knew what Regina's unspoken question was.

"He asked to speak to me because he doesn't think that I should marry you. Apparently, he doesn't think that you care about me."

"That's ridiculous!"

It was Emma's turn to look at Regina with surprise and curiosity. "Is it? You don't care for me, right? This proposal is fake."

Regina glanced at Emma, though her expression didn't give much away. "Right," She agreed, causing Emma's heart to drop a little. "But I've been acting like we're engaged; I've been acting like I love you."

"Apparently not well enough," Emma stated.

"Well, what more do you want me to do?" Regina asked defensively.

" _I_  don't want you to do anything."

"And it's just  _me_  that he doesn't believe? Not the both of us?"

"It seems so."

"Well, what did he say, exactly?"

"Does it really matter?"

Regina stopped walking, causing Emma to stop, too. "What is your problem?" She asked. "I'm trying, here. I'm trying to make things normal between us, which is what you said you wanted less that two minutes ago, but you're just being rude and bad-tempered to me in return. Have I done something?"

"You haven't done anything."

"Then stop being so fickle!"

"I'm not being fickle!" Emma argued.

"Well, I beg to differ." Regina folded her arms across her chest.

Emma narrowed her eyes and stepped forward. "You want to know what August said? He said that he can see how much _I_  care about _you_ , but that he can see that you don't care about me. He said that I get a light in my eye when I look at you, but you don't when you look at me. He said that he knows my feelings for you aren't reciprocated and he doesn't want his little sister, who is clearly head-over-heels, marrying a woman who doesn't love her back. He thinks that you're using me and doesn't want me to get my heart broken by you when you cast me aside after getting what you want. Is that a suitable enough reason for why he doesn't want me to marry you?"

Regina was quiet for a moment, obviously at a loss for words. "Well," She started, then cleared her throat. "It sounds like you've been giving an Oscar-worthy performance these past couple of days. I apologise if I'm not as believable."

"It's so frustrating that you don't even seem to be  _trying_ ," Emma said. "I know that we never really got along before this trip, but, Regina, I've _broken the law_  for you. I've lied to my friends and family for you. I'm getting married to you,  _for you_. Would it be too much for you at least  _act_  like you love me in return, so that you don't ruin this whole plan?"

"I thought that I was!"

"No, you're acting like you can tolerate being around me for the time being! You're acting like I'm a means to an end, and August has picked up on it."

"Pray tell, Emma Swan, expert on pretending to be in love, what am I supposed to do differently?" Regina's sarcastic tone was classic Defensive Regina, so Emma chose to ignore it.

"Just think about how you used to treat someone that you were in love with, think about how you looked at them and how you touched them and how you spoke to me, then treat me that way. At least when we're around my friends and family because otherwise other people are going to get suspicious, too."

Regina turned around and let out a frustrated sigh, annoyed that August had only figured out that  _she_  was being insincere, and annoyed that Emma was acting like it was so  _easy_  to pretend to love someone. How did someone treat someone that they loved? Regina sure as hell didn't know!

And maybe the reason that she had looked uncomfortable around Emma for the past couple of days was because she had been! She had been getting uncomfortable fluttery feelings inside of her every time that Emma touched her or smiled at her, and Regina feared what those feelings meant. Regina Mills didn't get nervous, fluttery feelings when people looked at her, no matter how green their eyes were, or how nice their smile was, or how soft their lips were, or warm their skin was.

Regina turned back to Emma with her hands on her hips, feeling slightly defeated. "But I don't know how to... I mean, I can't..."

"Regina," Emma tilted her head to the side, looking like she'd just thought something that even she was doubtful of. "You  _have_  been in love before, right?"

Regina hugged her middle, feeling embarrassed and ashamed that Emma was finding out the truth.

"Oh my God..." Emma looked completely shocked, not even needing Regina to confirm the theory in words. "But _how_? I mean, I know that you've always put work first, but how can you have never been in love before?"

"Haven't you only been in love once? With Neal?"

"Well, yeah, but..."

"What does it even matter?" Regina asked dismissively. "I don't need to have been in love, I'm fine on my own."

"I know, I know, you're a 'strong independent woman who don't need no man'." Emma recited with an eye roll.

"Woman."

"What?"

"Strong independent woman who don't need no  _woman_ , in my case."

Emma had had her suspicions about Regina's sexuality, but had never had full confirmation until now. Regina was a lesbian.  _She_  was a lesbian. Interesting. "Right."

"Stop looking at me like that."

Emma looked to the side in confusion, having felt that her face was fairly neutral. "Like what?"

"Like you feel sorry for me because I've never been in love. I don't want your pity, Emma."

"I don't pity you, I just... I feel like you're missing out. Not necessarily because you've never loved someone, but because that must mean that you've never been loved either."

Hearing her situation put into words made Regina realise how sad her life sounded. Still, she remained nonchalant. "I'm OK with that. No one's going to love the Evil Queen, and I've accepted that a long time ago."

"Don't call yourself that," Emma said. "And don't act like you're unlovable. I hate it when you do that."

The two women stood in a heavy silence for a moment, the conversation having turned a lot deeper than either of them expected. Eventually, Regina changed the subject back to her apparent failure at being a good actress. "I'll try harder. To make people believe that I love you. Though, for what it's worth, I think I did a good job at convincing Mary Margaret earlier. I had her in tears of joy when we went wedding dress shopping."

Emma looked intrigued. "Seriously?"

"She was extremely happy that you have found someone who cares about your happiness as much as I do." Regina sounded proud of herself as she informed Emma, which made the blonde laugh.

"Congratulations. If being a publisher doesn't work out for you, it sounds like you'll be able to find your calling in acting."

Regina smiled and shook her head. "Probably not. I really  _do_  care about your happiness, so I wasn't really having to act."

It was surreal for Emma to hear Regina saying nice things to her, seeing as she'd experienced two years of nothing but negativity. Emma couldn't get enough of Regina saying things that suggested that she cared about her. "Thank you, Regina."

"You're welcome." Regina smiled, then nodded her head behind Emma. "We should catch up to your parents. They're so far ahead that I can't even see them anymore."

Emma looked over her shoulder and then nodded. "Right. Come on, then." They began walking again, keeping at a comfortable pace. "I forgot to ask, did you find a dress?"

"I did." Regina confirmed.

"And? What does it look like?"

"You'll see on Sunday," Regina said coyly.

"I suppose I will," Emma agreed. "Do you think I'm going to like it? Will you look like a WILF?" She asked cheekily.

"A  _what_?" Regina looked at the blonde like she was speaking a different language.

"A WILF. Wife I'd like to f-"

"Emma!" Regina stopped her with a horrified slap on the arm.

"What?" Emma grinned innocently. "I was just asking."

They walked a few more paces in silence before Regina paused to take  _another_  stone out of her sandal. Emma groaned and shook her head, refusing to deal with this. "Nope, I'm not waiting for you every two seconds again."

"Emma, I have to take them out because-"

Emma turned so that her back was to Regina, then crouched down slightly. "Hop on."

"Excuse me?"

"Get on my back."

"Aren't we a little old for piggy back rides?"

"You can't be too old for piggy back rides. Now get on."

Regina rolled her eyes. "I'm not getting on your back, Emma."

"Just shut up and get on. You won't get any more stones in your shoe..." Emma tempted

Regina debated it for a moment, then sighed and decided that she would go for it. It would be worth it if it meant that there would be no more pesky stones digging into her foot. She put her hands on Emma's shoulders, then said, "Are you ready?"

"Yes."

"Don't drop me."

"I won't!"

Regina braced herself and then jumped up onto Emma's back, immediately feeling Emma's hands grip the underside of her legs to keep her up. Emma then stood up fully again, hoisting Regina higher up so that she was more secure. Regina draped her arms around Emma's neck, getting a face full of Emma's vanilla-scented hair in the process, before she moved it out of the way.

Emma started walking again, keeping a firm hold on Regina's legs as she did. "How's that?" She asked, making sure that Regina was OK and comfortable.

"Perfect."

* * *

Part of Emma feared that the lake would be different than she remembered.

From her childhood, she recalled the water being dazzlingly blue and the surrounding trees being overwhelmingly green. She remembered a perfectly picturesque landscape, and worried that her mind had manipulated it to this way over time. Maybe it was just an ordinary lake that her mind had morphed into perfection because she'd had so many fond memories there. Maybe when she saw it again she would be disappointed, as she had been with so many things from her childhood when seeing them again as an adult.

It turned out that Emma had nothing to worry about. The lake and its surroundings were as magnificent as ever, filling Emma with a childlike excitement.

"This is so beautiful," Regina said in awe as she walked to the edge of the lake, leaving Emma a few paces behind.

"Isn't it?" Mary Margaret agreed. "It was Emma's favourite place to come as a child. She practically lived here during the summer. She'd make us come here every day so that she could swim or canoe or snorkel, or just sit in the sun and watch the water. She even dragged us here in the winter a couple of times, though we obviously didn't let her go in the lake, or else she would have frozen to death. But Emma would be content to just sit on the pier and overlook the surroundings."

Regina smiled and looked over her shoulder at Emma. "A child with an eye for beauty?"

"And that doesn't seem to have changed, seeing as you're the person that she's choosing to marry." Mary Margaret said, winking at Regina.

Regina smiled at Mary Margaret, then looked back at Emma, more shyly this time. Emma just had to take a moment to take in the sight in front of her.

Her favourite place in the world: the beautiful lake from her childhood where she had created more amazing memories than anywhere else in the world. The sky was clear, with not a cloud in sight; the sunlight was dancing on the lake, making the water look like it was sparkling; the surrounding trees were waving in the gentle breeze; and then there was Regina Mills, by far the most beautiful woman that Emma had ever seen, looking at her with a shy smile.

Emma was filled with a feeling of contentment as she took a moment to appreciate how close to perfect this was. Standing in her favourite place with her favourite people could only be matched if she was here with her  _actual_  fiancée. But that would be taking a glass half empty mentality.

And, who knew, maybe one day she would come here with the love of her life. If she could be so lucky.

"She must have picked up that eye for beauty from her father," David said as he walked down the bank to join the three women. "Look at our ladies," He nudged Emma and nodded towards Mary Margaret and Regina. "Stunning, right?"over to Mary Margaret and enveloped her in a big hug, making her giggle like a teenager.

Emma smiled at the sight of her parents, ever the perfect couple, then glanced at Regina. She was unsure what to do, because Mary Margaret and David were so caught up in each other that they probably wouldn't even notice if Emma and Regina didn't so something couple-y. But, then again, that would just be sloppy acting. They were supposed to be engaged, after all.

So, Emma imitated her father's, "Come here, you", then walked over to Regina.

Regina helped to close the distance, wrapping her arms around Emma's middle and pulling her closer. For once, Regina was wearing flat shoes, meaning Emma could easily rest her chin on the top of the brunette's head. Emma breathed deeply, enjoying the feeling of cuddling Regina close to her.

"Can I ask you something?" Emma said quietly.

"Of course."

"Why do you always smell of apples?"

Regina let out a laugh, the sound of it instantly bringing a smile to Emma's face. "It's my shampoo."

"Well, I really like your shampoo," Emma informed the brunette, making a point of taking another deep breath to inhale the scent.

Regina pulled away slightly so that she could look at Emma, a teasing smile on her face. "Do you often smell my hair, Miss Swan?"

Emma just smiled wider. "It's one of the perks of being your fiancée."

"Alright love birds," David interrupted them, putting a hand on Emma's shoulder. "I think it's time we get out onto the lake."

He squeezed in between the two women and wrapped his arms around both of their shoulders, leaving Mary Margaret to walk on the other side of Regina, and began to guide them towards the pier, where two canoes were tied up.

"We were thinking that David and I will be in one canoe, and you two can be in the other, if that's OK?" Mary Margaret suggested.

"That'll work." Emma agreed.

"It can be extremely romantic to be out there alone in the middle of the lake. Can't it, David?" Mary Margaret said.

"It can," David confirmed, then added more enthusiastically, "And we can race each other!"

Emma perked up at the mention of races, which didn't go unnoticed by Regina. "You really are your father's daughter," She said in amusement.

"They're like two peas in a pod," Mary Margaret added, which made Emma and David look at each other proudly and give each other a fist-bump. Regina turned to Mary Margaret, and the two women gave each other a look that said, 'what are they like'.

When they got to the pier, David and Mary Margaret went over to one of the canoes that were tied up and began climbing into it, so Emma led the way to the other one and effortlessly jumped onto it. She then turned to Regina, expecting the brunette to jump down as easily as she did. However, the brunette remained on the pier, looking nervous.

"Are you coming?" Emma asked, sitting on one of the beams that acted as a seat so that she didn't lose her balance.

"How am I supposed to get  _into_  it?" Regina asked. The canoe was about a foot lower than where Regina was standing, and it was gently rocking with the movement of the water. There was nothing for her to hold onto while she stepped down, so she feared that she would fall and end up soaking wet in the lake.

"Just step down," Emma said, as if it were obvious.

"And what if I fall?"

"You won't."

Emma continued to look expectantly at Regina, but the brunette still didn't look sure. So, Emma stood up and held out her hand for Regina to take so that she could steady the brunette.

Regina looked at Emma's hand, then put her own into it. "OK?" Emma asked. Regina gave a little nod. "Alright, just step here," Emma pointed right in front of her own feet. "You won't fall because I've got you."

"You better have me, Miss Swan," Regina said sternly, though the nervous waver in her voice took most of the bite out of it.

Emma smiled and waited while Regina slowly put one foot into the canoe. However, as the brunette slowly shifted her weight from one foot to the other, the canoe started drifting away from the pier. It couldn't get far because it was still tied to the pier, but Regina still panicked and quickly put her other foot into the boat. Her quick movements made her almost lose her balance, so Emma had to wrap her arm around her waist to steady her.

Emma was about to laugh at the look of alarm on Regina's face as she had jumped into the canoe, but then she realised that the brunette was shaking and she suddenly became more sympathetic. "Hey," Emma pulled away from Regina, cupping either side of her face with her hands so that she could look at her properly. "You're OK. I told you that I wouldn't let you fall."

"I know, sorry, I just," Regina shook her head and laughed at herself. "This is probably the most adventurous thing I've ever done."

Emma smiled, knowing that her and Regina's upbringings could not have been more different. "Don't worry, you're in safe hands." She kissed Regina's forehead soothingly, not necessarily for the sake of keeping up appearances because they weren't even being watched.

Emma quickly began to lead Regina to the beam at the back of the canoe, mostly to distract the brunette from the intimate gesture. Regina was shaky, but once she was sat down she relaxed a bit more.

Emma went over to the rope that tied the canoe to the pier and unfastened the knot, then took her own seat at the front of the boat. She passed an oar to Regina and kept one for herself, using hers to push the canoe off the pier to get them going.

"I'll take the left," Emma called to Regina, then looked over to the brunette to make sure she was OK with that. When she realised that Regina was looking at her like she had no clue what she was taking about, Emma sighed. "I'll row on the left, you row on the right."

Regina nodded her head and put her oar in the water to her right hand side, and Emma did the same but on her left. Then they were off, clumsily and slowly, but at least they were moving.

"Shall we start with a race?" David called over to them. He was the leader of his and Mary Margaret's canoe and was rowing with practised motions.

"Just tell us where the starting point and the finish line is and you're on," Emma challenged.

They decided to start at the right hand side of the lake and race until the were in line with the pier, which was roughly half way across the lake. It took about fifteen minutes for them to get both of the canoes in place, mostly because Regina had never canoed before so was clumsy and awkward at rowing, and Mary Margaret kept on pausing to look different birds and other things, much to the frustration of David.

Finally, they were in position and ready to go.

"Is there a technique to this that I should know about?" Regina asked. She had been trying to row as well as Emma, but her oar missed the water more often than not, and when it _did_  go in it just produced a big splash and didn't do much to propel them forwards.

"Regina, we're racing my parents, not competing in the Olympics."

Emma heard Regina's sigh at her response, but the brunette didn't say anything further.

"Are you girls ready?" David asked, his eyes shining at the prospect of the competition.

"As we'll ever be," Emma grinned back.

"Three, two, one,  _go_!"

The race started with a lot of splashing and thrashing as both canoes tried to take the lead. And both got a pretty speedy start, but it only went downhill from there.

It would be expected that David and Mary Margaret would make a good team, seeing as they were such a loving couple, but this turned out to not be the case. David kept on shouting, "Quicker! Quicker! Mary Margaret, _come on_!" Causing Mary Margaret to grumpily say, "Stop yelling at me, David."

They crossed the lake at a reasonable speed, though their arguing and bickering could be heard the entire time. Still, they did better than Emma and Regina.

Emma tried to make it easier by saying 'row, row, row' every time her oar hit the water, so that they could row in time. However, it didn't work. Regina complained that Emma was splashing her, and stopped rowing so that she could try to shield herself. This meant that Emma was the only one rowing, so they veered off to the right and ended up completely off course. Emma grumbled and tried to get Regina to row so that they would get back on track, but it was too late. Her parents had already passed the pier, meaning they had won.

"We lost..." Emma said in disbelief, watching her father celebrate across the lake. When it was her and August racing against their parents, they always won, but now she had lost.

"Emma, you've soaked me." Regina complained, clearly not bothered about the outcome of the race.

Emma looked over her shoulder at Regina and had to stifle a laugh. It was true: she had managed to soak her wet through. The brunette's white top was now practically see-through because it was so wet, meaning Emma could see the black bra underneath, and Regina's arms were glistening with water droplets.

"Oops," Emma said, though her voice didn't sound the least bit sorry.

"I was _telling_  you that you were splashing me, but did you stop? No, of course you didn't."

"And  _I_  was telling  _you_  to row faster, but did you? No, of course you didn't."

Regina narrowed her eyes at Emma, but couldn't say anything else because David and Mary Margaret came casually rowing over to them. "How is the  _losing_  team?" David said smugly.

Emma glared at her father. "This race didn't count. I was sabotaged by my own teammate and her refusal to row."

"Don't be a sore _loser_ , Emma." David's smugness was infuriating.

"Don't be a sore winner, dad." Emma retorted.

"Now, now, let's not argue." Mary Margaret acted as the peacekeeper. "Let's continue having a nice day. A  _relaxing_  day, so no more races. We'll go our separate ways for the time being because your father and I want to go near the trees over there so that we can look for some birds, but if you come then you'll scare them away with your voice, Emma."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Whatever," She said.

"We'll see you later," Mary Margaret waved to Emma and Regina before she and David started rowing towards the edge of the lake, where the trees were the thickest so more birds would be about.

"Now what?" Regina asked.

"Now, we row."

* * *

Emma and Regina rowed around the lake for a while, Emma trying to teach Regina how to be a better canoer and Regina constantly reminding Emma that it wasn't a skill she particularly wanted to possess.

Eventually, they ended up in the middle of the lake, both of their oars on the floor of the canoe while they relaxed. Well, Emma was relaxing. Regina was desperately trying to not let her feet touch the floor of the canoe because it was filled with water and she didn't want to get her shoes wet.

"Would you just scoop some of it out?" Regina asked for the hundredth time.

Emma had her head tipped back so that the sun was hitting her face, so she didn't look at Regina while she replied. "With what, exactly?"

"Anything. Your hands.  _Your_  shoes."

At that, Emma tilted her head back down so that she could look at Regina incredulously. "My  _shoes._  Really?"

"What? They're already wet." Regina looked pointedly at Emma's Converse, which were sitting in the middle of the pond that was their canoe.

"No, Regina," Emma shook her head. "Just put your feet down. It's just a little bit of water, it's not gonna burn you."

"I don't want to ruin my shoes."

Emma rolled her eyes and reached across the canoe. It only took a gentle nudge for Regina's feet to fall off the beam that they had been precariously sitting on, and they landed with a splash in the middle of the puddle.

"Emma!" Regina looked at her with frustration.

"Calm down. Your shoes won't be ruined."

"You are infuriating."

"You're not exactly a piece of cake to spend time with, either."

Regina narrowed her eyes venomously at Emma, but it only lasted for a moment and then she seemed to forget that she was annoyed. She continued to watch Emma, though, glancing from the blonde to something behind her, then back again.

At first, Emma pretended not to notice that she was being stared at, but then she started to feel self-conscious and just had to know what had caught Regina's attention. "What are you looking at?"

"Nothing."

"You're staring at me."

"I'm just pondering," Regina said, tilting her head to the side and looking closely at Emma.

Emma wanted to hide her face from Regina's gaze, uncomfortable with the scrutiny, but she forced herself not to. "What, exactly, are you pondering?"

"Your eyes," Regina said thoughtfully, then glanced behind Emma again. "I think that they're the exact same colour as the trees behind you when the sun hits them."

Emma glanced over her shoulder at the green trees, then back at Regina. "And is that a good thing?"

"I don't see why it would be a bad thing." Regina shrugged.

"No, I mean... do you  _like_  my eyes? Or are you just... neutral about them?"

Regina looked at Emma for a long moment before replying. "I like your eyes," She decided. "They seem to change colour a lot depending on your mood and the lighting and your surroundings. It makes them interesting. They're never quite the same as the last time you look at them."

Emma smiled at the compliment and looked away shyly. "I like your eyes, too," She said. "They're dark and mysterious, but nice. Like chocolate or mahogany."

"Thank you." Regina said, sounding so genuine that Emma had to look at her, and was glad that she did when she was the soft smile on Regina's lips. It quickly turned teasing, though. "And I'm very glad that you didn't compare them to mud."

Emma laughed and little and shook her head. Like she would ever compare Regina's stunning eyes to mud.

They fell into a comfortable silence for a while, and Emma ended up leaning against the head of the canoe with her feet propped up on a couple of the beams. Regina was more relaxed now as well. Nowhere near as uncomfortable as she had been when she first got into the canoe.

"Your parents are a great couple." Regina broke the silence.

"Huh?"

"Your parents," Regina nodded in the direction of their canoe, which was still near the trees because they were bird-watching. "They're so in love, even after thirty years."

"I know," Emma smiled at the sight of Mary Margaret and David. Mary Margaret was sat on one of the beams, but David was now on the floor, leaning against her legs while she stroked his hair fondly. "They've always been like that. It's gross."

"You sound like a child," Regina said with amusement. "A child who doesn't like seeing her parents kiss. Anyway, I think it's sweet."

"It _is_  sweet," Emma agreed. "But it's sickeningly sweet. Don't you think?"

"No," Regina shook her head, still looking at the other couple. "I think they have what everyone aims for: true love. And if they've been lucky enough to find it, why shouldn't they flaunt it?"

Emma looked at Regina with a slightly triumphant smile. "So you  _do_  want to find love?"

Regina looked at her questioningly, obviously not understanding what she was referring to.

"Earlier, when I found out that you'd never been in love, you acted like you didn't even want to be. I didn't understand how someone could not want to find someone that they love, but, you  _do._ "

"Of course I want to," Regina said, sounding a little embarrassed. "I just meant that I don't  _need_  to. I'll be OK on my own if I have to be, but..."

"You don't have to be," Emma said. "You make yourself be alone because you close yourself off to everyone."

"Can we stop talking about my love life?" Regina said, changing the topic before they could really get into it. "Or the absence of my love life."

"If that's what you want," Emma agreed, then looked across the lake again.

She noticed that they'd drifted to the edge of the lake, a few feet away from the pier and about ten to fifteen feet away from the sandy bank. At this rate, they would end up washing ashore, so Emma decided that she would row themselves further away again.

She tried to sit up, but almost fell off her beam as she did, so she grabbed onto the side of the canoe to keep herself steady. It worked, she didn't fall off the beam, but she grabbed the canoe with so much force that it made the wooden frame rock slightly. It was only a slight rock, not like they were going to capsize or anything, but Regina grabbed onto the sides of the canoe with both hands, eyes wide.

"Would you be careful?" She snapped, her worry that the canoe would tip apparent.

"You really need to loosen up, Regina," Emma said, feeling the brunette was overreacting. "What's going to happen even if the canoe  _did_  tip?"

"Well, nothing, but-"

Emma moved from side to side, making the canoe rock again. Regina's eyes widened, yet again, as she gripped onto the edges. "Emma."

Emma laughed to herself and carried on, finding delight in Regina's discomfort.

"Would you stop?" Regina said, trying to steady the canoe.

"Why are you so scared about falling in?" Emma asked, continuing her rocking motion.

"I'm not scared, I just don't want to get wet."

"It's water, Regina. You won't melt. You're not the Wicked Witch of the West."

"Still, I just don't want to- Emma!"

Emma made her motions bigger, making the canoe thrash around, dangerously close to the tipping point. "Stop acting like a child. Right now." Regina said sternly.

"Live life on the wild side, Regina," Emma said, laughing away at herself.

"Emma, I just don't want to."

It was at that moment that Emma surprised even herself when the canoe actually tipped, throwing Emma and Regina into the lake. Emma hadn't meant for the canoe to actually flip, and when it did she heard both Regina  _and_  herself scream in shock. Before she knew it, she was submerged in the freezing water and knew that Regina was going to kill her.

Emma's foot hit the floor, seeing as the lake was relatively shallow when they were this close to the edge, so she was able to push herself off the lake floor and emerged into the open air again. Emma couldn't quite stand up, but the bottom of the lake was only a couple of feet below her feet so she wasn't too concerned. That's why, when she came above the water and could already hear Regina shouting at her, she went back under the water and and swam a couple of metres in the opposite direction.

Even under water, Emma could hear Regina's yelling and knew that she was going to be in _big_  trouble when they were out of the lake. She stayed under water for a couple more seconds, bracing herself for a verbal attack, then pushed herself out of the water again.

She turned to look at Regina, who was about three metres away from her, and thrashing about like a lunatic. It was like she had picked a fight with the water or something and was trying to punch it and kick it. Emma frowned at the sight, thoroughly confused until she realised that Regina was trying to stay afloat.

And then it dawned on Emma that Regina wasn't shouting angrily at Emma for tipping the canoe, she was desperately screaming, "Emma! I can't-" And then her face went beneath the water, cutting off the rest of her sentence. But Emma had a feeling that it would have ended in 'swim', and suddenly Emma couldn't hear anything over the pounding in her ears.

Regina couldn't swim, and Emma had just tipped the canoe. Regina was desperately trying to stay above the surface so that she didn't  _drown_ , which it looked like she was going to do if Emma didn't get a move on save her.

"Regina..." Emma started moving towards the other woman, who's head would be above the surface one moment and below it the next. "Regina!" Emma suddenly forced herself into action, throwing herself as quickly as possible towards the brunette before she drowned.

She made it to Regina as quickly as possible, and grabbed the brunette's body, heaving it above the water. She wasted no time in paddling towards the bank of the lake, dragging Regina along with her. As soon as Emma was in a place where she could stand up, she picked Regina up bridal-style and forced herself out of the water.

Regina had gone still and quiet by the time Emma got her onto the sandy edge of the lake, which filled Emma with dread and made her legs feel weak and shaky. When Emma's knees buckled, she didn't know whether it was her own personal choice or whether it had just happened. Still, it made Emma drop Regina to the floor heavier than she would have liked.

"Regina..." Emma said quietly, brushing brunette hair out of the other woman's face. She glanced over her shoulder, hoping that her parents would be nearby so that they could save Regina, but they were still bird-watching, completely oblivious to what was going on behind them.

"Regina," Emma said again, this time her voice breaking as tears filled her eyes. She slapped the other woman's face to try and wake her up and  _prayed_  that she wouldn't have to give CPR.

Luckily, and curiously, the slapping seemed to do the trick, and Regina suddenly took a deep breath before coughing, sputtering water everywhere. Then brown eyes opened and looked up at Emma, and, man, Emma had never been so relieved to see Regina's eye before.

"Stop slapping me, you idiot." Regina lifted her hand and stopped Emma's from connecting with her cheek again.

"Oh my God, Regina..." Emma's voice sounded so relieved and thankful that Regina was awake, but it also sounded tearful and she could feel tears streaming down her face. "Don't you dare-" Emma inhaled sharply, trying to calm herself down, but she'd had so many emotions running through her that that probably wasn't possible. "Don't you dare do that to me again."

Emma didn't even think about it. She leaned down and connected her lips to Regina's. It wasn't a gentle kiss; it was desperate and clumsy but filled with emotion, and that's what made it special.

When Emma pulled away and looked down at Regina, she was a little fearful. She couldn't say that that kiss was to keep up their charade because Mary Margaret and David were nowhere near them. It was a real kiss, their first _real_  kiss, and Emma didn't know if Regina was going to be okay with it.

Luckily, Regina just smiled up at her, looking dazed and exhausted from her near death experience, but still smiling. "Now you know why I didn't want you to tip the canoe. I can't swim."

"Why didn't you just tell me?" Emma asked, grabbing one of Regina's hands just so that she had something to hold on to.

"I thought you'd laugh at me."

"Are you serious?" Emma said in disbelief. "Now look who's the idiot."

Regina let out a breath that was supposed to be a laugh. "You almost killed me."

"I know," Emma voice cracked as she said it, but she forced herself to smile jokingly. "But I also saved you."

Regina shook her head with a smile, but then lifted her head to kiss Emma again. "Yes. You did."


	15. Chapter 15

Regina couldn't quite believe how emotional Emma was after the incident at the lake.

She had never seen Emma cry before, at least, not that she could remember. But Emma had let her tears fall freely while she held Regina's hand and stroked her hair and asked hundreds of times whether or not she was OK. She hadn't let Regina move for at least fifteen minutes, even though Regina kept on insisting that she was fine. When she finally did let Regina sit up, Emma still held her and rubbed her knee, seeming to not even realise that she was doing it while she rambled on about how scared she had been that she had killed her.

All Regina could think to do was say, 'Emma, honestly, I'm fine,' for the hundredth time and wipe Emma's tears from her cheeks with her thumb.

Eventually, Mary Margaret had David had canoed their way back over to them, wondering why they were both soaking wet and why there was a tipped canoe floating around. When Emma told them what had happened, she ended up in tears again, and Regina had had the two Nolan's worriedly making sure that she was OK.

After Regina had managed to convince the three others that she was  _absolutely fine_ , just a little weary, if anything, then Mary Margaret announced that they should go back to the cabin so that Regina could rest.

Regina had gone over to Emma, wiped the blonde's tears again and given her a soothing hug. She couldn't help but want to laugh at the irony of the situation: _I'm the one who almost drowned but_ I'm _the one comforting_  you.

Emma had buried her face in the crook of Regina's neck and hugged her as tightly as she could without hurting her. It was at that moment that Regina realised that Emma really  _did_  care about her. She didn't know when, or how, it had happened, but Emma now actually cared about her well-being - enough that she would be utterly distraught if something happened to her.

If anything like this had happened before Emma and Regina's trip to Storybrooke, Emma would have probably been rejoicing with everyone else who worked for Regina. But now Emma cared about her and it filled Regina with warmth.

No one had really cared about her since her father had passed away, but now she had Emma and... that was more than enough.

But the realisation also made Regina analyse the fact that Emma had kissed her after the almost-drowning incident. At first, she hadn't thought much of it, because they were supposed to be acting engaged and kisses were just part of that package. But then she had remembered that there was no one around for them to act for, so that couldn't have been the reason. Regina just pinned it down to the fact that Emma was so emotional, but that didn't alter the fact that assistants didn't kiss their bosses, and friends didn't kiss their friends. So what did that make them, exactly?

Regina didn't let herself spend too long thinking about it. After all, she had kissed Emma too and she didn't really have a reason why other than because she wanted to and it felt right.

Emma wouldn't let Regina walk back to the house. She insisted Regina climb onto her back again and gave her a piggy-back ride the whole way. Had Regina been the one carrying Emma, she probably would have been exhausted after two minutes of walking. But Emma walked the whole fifteen minutes effortlessly, and even carried Regina upstairs to their room, even though Regina was telling her to put her down.

Emma finally  _did_  put her down when they were in their room, which is how they ended up with Regina rummaging for some clean clothes in one of the drawers while Emma sat on the bed looking at her the entire time.

"Would you stop staring at me?" Regina asked, not in an unfriendly way.

"Sorry, I just... I'm glad that you're OK."

Regina smiled to herself at the words. Someone was glad that she was OK. "I know you are, but," She stood up and closed the drawer, clean clothes in hand, and turned to Emma. "I'm not going to drop dead if you take your eyes off me."

Emma gave her a 'duh' look. "I obviously know that."

"Then stop staring!"

"Sorry," Emma shook her head at herself and looked away, but as soon as Regina started walking towards the bathroom she looked back at the brunette. "Do you need a hand?"

"In the shower?" Regina paused to raise an eyebrow at Emma.

"What? There's nothing that I haven't seen already." She moved her eyes over Regina's body, showing that she was referring to that time she saw Regina naked.

"Emma, we're not talking about that, remember?" Regina warned.

"You can deny that it happened but it doesn't change the fact that it did," Emma said smugly. When all she got in response was an unimpressed look from Regina, she sighed and stood up. "I just want to make sure that you're OK."

"I've already told you that I am," Regina replied. While she appreciated Emma's concern, she didn't like having someone breathing down her neck all the time. "People pass out all the time, and they're often fine afterwards. I am one of those people right now."

"But what if something happens while you're showering?"

Regina's expression softened at Emma. "It won't," She tried to assure the blonde, but Emma still didn't look convinced. Regina sighed. "I'll tell you what. I'll leave the door unlocked and if I feel dizzy or light-headed, I'll shout for you. Or, if you hear an almighty bang that sounds an awful lot like my body crashing to the floor, feel free to come rushing in. Deal?"

Emma continued to look at Regina for a moment, considering her options, then nodded her head. "Alright. Deal."

Regina smiled, somewhat triumphantly, and retreated into the bathroom. She closed the door behind her, but didn't turn the lock, then went over and started the shower. It was hard to peel her clothes off because they were wet and sticking to her, but once she did and had stepped into the warm jets of the shower, it was bliss.

She could have stayed there for the rest of the day, nice and warm and clean, but she knew that Emma would have eventually come barging in to make sure that she was OK, and Regina didn't particularly want her assistant seeing her naked again.

So, she forced herself out of the shower as soon as she had washed all the lake water out of her hair and off her body. She put on her clean items of clothing, which were just a baggy t-shirt and some yoga pants, and emerged from the bathroom.

Emma didn't seem to have moved while she was gone, other than to sit back down on the bed. She was still wearing wet clothes, her hair just as wet, and was staring at the bathroom door while she waited for Regina.

"I told you I'd be fine," Regina said, sounding pleased with herself. She put her wet towel and clothes in the hamper, then turned back to Emma.

"You should take a nap," Emma decided, standing up and pulling the corner of the sheets for Regina to get in. "You must be exhausted."

Regina wasn't going to argue with that, because she was pretty tired. So, even though her hair was still wet, she climbed into the bed and laid on her back so that she could still look at Emma. "And what are you going to do?"

"Shower," Emma shrugged. "Then... I don't know. Probably get a snack."

Regina laughed a little. "I swear that that's all you do: Eat. Sleep. Repeat. Or, actually: Eat. Sleep. Almost kill me. Repeat."

Emma winced at the mention of the events of the day. "Can we please add this to the list of things we don't talk about?"

"As long as you stop asking me if I'm OK."

"I can't just stop being concerned about you, Regina."

Regina smiled slightly. "I'm not asking you to, but if I stop being OK then I'll tell you."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

That seemed to satisfy Emma, who then walked over to the to the curtains and closed them so that it would be dark enough for Regina to get some rest. "Night, Regina," She said, then shook her head and corrected herself, "Or should I say, 'good afternoon', Regina."

Regina rolled onto her side and closed her eyes, smiling as she said, "Good afternoon, Emma."

* * *

Regina didn't know how long she was out for, but she awoke feeling groggy from sleep. She rolled onto her back and rubbed her eyes, allowing herself to wake up slowly. Once she had been awake for a few minutes, she started to feel more refreshed and decided that she had had an extremely good sleep.

Then she opened her eyes and immediately noticed Emma, sitting on the chaise at the end of the bed and watching her.

"You really need to stop doing that," Regina said, her voice sounding like a moan.

"Doing what?"

"Staring at me."

"Oh. Sorry," Emma looked away, her eyes darting around the room as she tried to avoid looking at Regina. "I swear I haven't been here long. Ten minutes, tops."

"How long was I sleeping?"

"A couple of hours," Emma informed her, her eyes stopping their scan of the room and landing on her own feet. "You were out cold after I'd had my shower. I went downstairs and got a sandwich, told my parents that you were alright, watched an episode of Law and Order... are you hungry, by the way?"

"Not yet."

"OK. Well, since you're awake, I was thinking... you know how my mom suggested we have our wedding ceremony in the barn?"

It sounded absolutely insane to hear Emma say 'our wedding ceremony'. "Yes."

"Well, we never got chance to go and look at the barn because of what happened, so, do you wanna?"

"Go look at the barn?"

"Yeah."

"Now?"

"Yeah."

Regina tried to think of a reason not to, but came up blank. "Sure."

* * *

So, Emma and Regina ended up walking along the dusty path that led to the barn.

Honestly, Regina couldn't believe that she was even outside looking like she currently did. She didn't have any make up on, her hair was tied back into a ponytail, she was wearing some jeans with one of Emma's jumpers, which was slightly too big for her so the sleeves covered her hands... She had never stepped out of the house like this before, but all it took was for Emma to tell her that she looked fine and that Emma would be the only one seeing her, and suddenly that was good enough for Regina.

Emma was also equally as casual, which made Regina feel a lot more comfortable. The blonde had her hair tied up too, and she wasn't wearing makeup either, though Emma sometimes didn't so that wasn't anything new. Then she was wearing some black jeans, a tank top that said 'I don't trust me either' and her red leather jacket.

"You know what's strange?" Emma said as they walked, interrupting the silence that Regina had been enjoying, as Emma so often did.

In the past two years, Regina and Emma had gone to a lot of book fairs together, located in a variety of locations ranging from cities to seaside towns. While they were there, Regina had often been content to take a moment to herself to enjoy the atmosphere - to overlook the city or the sea or whatever scenery was surrounding them, and settle down with a book or some such thing. But Emma wasn't one for savouring silence, and would always end up blurting something out to fill it. So many times, Regina had rolled or eyes or snapped at Emma interrupting her serene moments.

This reminded Regina of those times. The walk to the barn was along a nice little dirt path surrounded by stunning trees. All had been silent with the exception of tweeting birds and the crunching of stones beneath Emma and Regina's feet. Then Emma interrupted Regina's tranquil moment, just like she had so many times at book fairs, but this time Regina didn't roll her eyes or grumble. She didn't mind that Emma was talking to her. In fact, conversations with the blonde could actually be quite pleasant, Regina had discovered.

"What?"

"In all the time that I've worked for you, you have no idea how many times I've envisaged murdering you," Emma confessed casually. Regina snapped her head in the blonde's direction, shocked by the statement that seemed to come from nowhere.

"Oh?"

Emma didn't seem to notice how taken aback Regina was though, too busy staring at the ground as she walked. "I can't tell you how many times that, after you'd told me I'd have to work late on a Friday  _again,_  I imagined picking up one of the pens from your desk and just," Emma lifted her hand like the killer in a slasher movie. " _Jabbing_  it into your eye or something."

With her mood significantly decreasing thanks to Emma's admission, Regina looked ahead and neutralised her expression to look uninterested. "While I appreciate your candour about your murderous inclinations towards me, is there a point to this story?"

Emma glanced at Regina, a look of realisation crossing her features. "Oh no, I'm not trying to make you feel bad," She hastily assured the brunette. "My point is that, although I've had urges to kill you in the past, when I actually almost  _did_  you kill you, I..."

Emma trailed off, leaving the sentence unfinished. Regina glanced at the blonde again, but Emma's eyes were firmly pointed towards the floor. "You..." Regina encouraged, curious about what Emma was going to say next.

Emma sighed and lifted a shoulder. "I was terrified." She admitted. "I'm not saying that I ever really wanted you dead. Of course I didn't, that would be terrible. But, I honestly wanted you out of my life for so long, and I've only today realised that... I don't anymore. Yes, you're bossy and unbearable and you drive me crazy sometimes - most of the time, actually - but I wouldn't change that for the world. I wouldn't change  _you_  for the," Emma hesitated before saying 'world', as though she'd just realised how that last part sounded and didn't like that she'd laid her cards on the table for Regina to see.

"Thank you, Emma," Regina said genuinely, then turned more teasing as she said, "Hearing that someone doesn't want to kill you anymore is high praise indeed."

Emma looked at her with a look that said, 'really?'. "What did I just say about you being unbearable?" She joked.

"I'm sorry, I'm not used to getting compliments."

"You'd probably receive a lot more if you weren't so... _you._ "

"And what does that mean?" Regina quirked her brow.

"You close yourself off all the time," Emma said, as if it were obvious. "No one can see the good things about you because you hide them away. The only reason that _I've_  got to see that you're not totally unlikable is because of this trip that we're on. Let's face it, without this fake engagement I could have worked with you for ten more years and you wouldn't have showed me anything more than your controlling work-self. You wouldn't have showed me that you can actually be funny and witty and someone who's nice to be around."

" _'Not totally unlikable_ '", Regina echoed, ignoring the latter part of what Emma said and focusing only on the beginning. "Don't flatter me too much, Miss Swan."

"Regina-"

"No, I'm being serious. That one's going on my gravestone."

Emma rolled her eyes. "I'm trying to be nice, here."

"Well, thank you," Regina said. "And I'm glad that you like me, but what more do you want me to say?"

Emma shrugged. "I don't know."

Emma didn't say anything else, so the pair walked in silence for a few minutes. Regina felt a little frustrated that a few minutes earlier she had been enjoying a pleasant walk, but now it was slightly tense and she felt like it was all her fault. She was just terrible at conversing with people. Emma had been trying to be nice, but Regina had just had to make jokes and dismiss the kind gesture.

Regina forced herself to think of a way to make things OK again.

"For what it's worth," She decided to say. "My opinion of you has changed too."

"Oh yeah?" Emma asked, sounding fed up. "You used to think I was just loud and annoying, but now you think I'm loud, annoying  _and_  an attempted murderer?"

Regina narrowed her eyes at Emma. "That's not what I was going to say. I used to think that you were loud and outspoken, yes. But now I think that you're also nice to be around, and I also wouldn't change _you_  for the world either."

Regina kept her eyes on Emma, even though the blonde was staring ahead. She was glad that she did when she got to see the smile tugging at Emma's lips, even if the blonde was trying to suppress it. "Look at us," Emma said with a little laugh. "Bonding and stuff. Bet you didn't think this would happen when we were back in New York."

"I certainly didn't," Regina acknowledged with a laugh of her own. "I think hell must be freezing over."

"Yeah," Emma agreed. "And keep your eye out for flying pigs."

Regina smiled. "Noted."

* * *

Eventually, they reached the end of the path and Regina got to see the barn that Mary Margaret had been enthusing over.

From the outside, it looked like a stereotypical barn. The structure was constructed out of wood and had been painted a reddy-brown colour, the roof from the front was the same shape as the top of an octagon, and there was a large, wooden double door at the front. Regina wasn't overly fond of it at a first glance, feeling as though it had been pulled from a farmyard cartoon and dropped in a small town in Maine.

But Emma didn't stop to gauge her reaction, or even stop to let her take it in. Instead, she continued walking up to the door, leaving Regina to follow behind her.

When Emma reached the wooden door, she easily pulled it open, then grabbed a nearby rock to use as a wedge to hold it open. While Emma did that, Regina took her opportunity to step inside and have a look around.

Mary Margaret had been right: the barn had been refurbished and Regina was relieved to find that there was no hint of the smell of hay or manure. The floors were hardwood and polished, meaning each footstep echoed in the still room. The place was completely empty and the walls that had surely been in there when the barn housed animals to create individual stalls had been ripped down so that it was just one, unobstructed room. Wooden beams ran up the walls every two metres or so, from floor to ceiling, and similar wooden beams crossed over the roof.

On the wall opposite the door was a huge window, the same shape and size as the double door that Regina had walked through, and through the window was a patch of green which turned into a scattering of trees. Through the scattering, Regina could could see the twinkling of something - water, Regina concluded - and she wondered if that was the lake that they had gone to earlier.

"So," Emma's voice echoed slightly in the empty room as she walked in behind Regina. "I'm guessing that the aisle will be here." Emma walked down the middle of the barn. "And the guests will sit on either side. Obviously we'll put some chairs in here." Emma held her arms out to either side of her, like an air hostess pointing out the emergency exits. "And we'll get married here," Emma walked to the front of the room, just in front of the the window. "It's a little dark in here, but my mom will probably put up some fairy lights or something," Emma rolled her eyes and shook her head, but Regina just smiled at the image. "So... what do you think?"

Regina looked around again, her eyes scanning the inside of the barn. "It's lovely in here," She admitted. "And the view," She walked to join Emma by the window. "It's gorgeous. I think this place will more than suffice for the ceremony on Sunday."

"Good," Emma nodded, putting her hands in her pockets and looking around herself. "My mom and dad actually got married here. Or, so I'm told. But it was before the refurb, so they got married outside," She nodded her head to the field that could be seen through the window. "You know what my mom's like. She thought it'd be wonderful for her children to get married where she got married, so she had this placed cleared out, just in case she would get to use it."

"So, she's had this planned for a while then?" Regina asked, not at all surprised. Mary Margaret seemed exactly the type of person to do this.

"Yep," Emma smiled in amusement. "Only, she didn't anticipate that she'd have two children who suck at love. I mean, look at me and August: I'm 28 and single, he's 33 and single. It's borderline tragic."

"Well, I'm 34 and single, so welcome to the lonely hearts club."

Emma smiled and shook her head, then turned to look out of the window. "Don't you want this?"

"I'm sorry?"

Emma sighed and scratched her forehead uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, but I can't forget what you said about never being in love. I mean, how could you not want this? How could you not want to find someone that you want to spend your life with, and get married to them in some old barn because your mother-in-law is a crazy woman and a sucker for family tradition?"

"Emma-"

"And how can you not want to find someone who you can call family? Because, Regina, you have no one to invite to your own fake wedding and you don't seem bothered by it at all."

"Emma-"

"And every day you cover yourself in makeup and designer clothes, and go to work with people who don't know a thing about you, then go home alone. How can you not want there to be someone to go home  _to;_  someone who you can take off your makeup in front of and put on some sweats in front of and let them see who you are beneath this...  _shield_."

"Emma-"

"Someone who will let you know that you're beautiful even without the makeup and tight dresses. Someone who will make you laugh and smile, and let you know that you're not alone. Someone who will do things to make you feel special, like bring you flowers just to see you smile, or make dinner for you even if they're a terrible cook. Someone who will hold your hand in public to proudly show to everyone that you're their girlfriend. Someone who will always put you first. Someone who will stick by you through the good times  _and_  the bad times. Someone whose main priority is your happiness. Someone whose favourite things about you are the things you hate the most. Someone who will accept you, even your flaws, and would never ask you to change a thing about yourself. Someone who wants to know everything that there is to know about you and memorise every inch of you. Someone who wants to be with you for the rest of their lives, and have a family with you, and grow old with you. Someone who will love you because, damn it, Regina, that's what you deserve and-"

Regina wanted to say something, but it was clear that her attempts to interrupt the blonde were failing. So, she gave up with verbal attempts and instead stepped forwards, putting her hands around Emma's neck and pressing her lips against Emma's lips so that the blonde had to stop talking.

At first, Emma was very still, no doubt stunned by the fact that Regina was kissing her at a time when they were alone and neither of them had just nearly died. Regina was about to pull away, feeling foolish as it seemed that her affection was unwanted and that she had misread things. But then she felt Emma's hands grip her waist and her lips move against her own, and Regina's heart soared.

Emma pulled Regina closer to her so that their bodies were touching, and moved her lips carefully over Regina's. Neither of them tried to deepen the kiss - this was new so they were both tentative, treading on eggshells and being careful not to scare the other away. But it didn't matter that the kiss didn't progress, because it was real and genuine and that was enough for both of them.

Eventually, they broke away from each other, but Regina kept her arms draped loosely around Emma's neck and Emma left her hands clutching Regina's waist. A smile spread out on Regina's lips, one which she saw mirrored on Emma's in front of her.

"I apologise for the rude interruption," Regina lied. "But I just wanted to say, as I've already said once today, that it's not that I don't  _want_  any of those things. I've just accepted that I might not get them, and I've learned to live with that."

Emma leaned forward and rested her forehead against Regina's, letting out a long breath. "How can you just learn to live with it?"

"Emma, I've been alone for most of my life. It's nothing new."

Emma shook her head, making Regina's shake too. "I'm not going to let you spend your life alone, Regina. It's not what you deserve."

"What could you possibly do about it?"

The obvious answer that jumped to Regina's mind was that Emma would prevent her from being alone by being there for her herself. Regina didn't even realise how much she wanted to hear Emma utter those words until the blonde said something else. "I'll find you someone. Someone who will love you."

Regina let out a dry laugh as she extracted herself from Emma's grip. "Good luck with that."

"I will," Emma said confidently. "Who knows, there might be someone out there dying for a chance with you. You know what, I bet there definitely is. And they might be a lot closer than you think."

Emma's words made Regina want to scream. One minute the blonde was telling Regina how much she deserved to be loved, the next they were kissing, the next Emma was acting like she wanted Regina to be with someone else, and now... now what? Was she hinting that she did like Regina, after all? Or was she implying that there was someone else?

Regina wasn't sure where she stood with Emma, and was afraid to admit to herself why she cared.

She also found that she wasn't brave enough to ask Emma, so just settled for a small nod of her head. "If you say so."

"I do say so," Emma responded.

Not knowing what to say to that, Regina turned back to the window, where the sun could be seen setting behind the trees. It was getting quite late in the evening, meaning that it would be dark soon. Regina was going to suggest that they head back to the cabin, but she had to take a moment to savour the view.

"You know," She said. "I've lived in cities all my life. I spent my childhood in Vancouver, then when my mom moved to New York, I moved to Victoria with my dad. Then I finally moved to New York myself. I've gone from city to city to city, and I can't for the life of me think why you would want to leave this place for one."

Emma stepped forward to join her at the window. "You're only saying that because you've only lived in cities. You spend more than a year in this place and the novelty wears off. It's too quiet and dull. City life is much more exciting."

"But you don't get views like this is New York. It's just skyscrapers and concrete there."

Emma looked down at her, seeming to be amused. "Have you never been to Central Park?"

Regina looked up at the blonde. "Good point," She acknowledged.

Emma sighed contently, then put out her hand for Regina to take. "Come on. Let's get back to the house. You can spend some more time admiring the view on Sunday."

"I think I'll be a little busy getting married." Regina joked, though slid her hand into Emma's and let herself be guided out of the barn.

* * *

"Should I set an alarm for seven a.m. tomorrow?" Regina asked, fiddling with the alarm clock on the bedside table.

" _Seven_?" Emma echoed, clearly outraged. "More like ten."

Regina looked at Emma in a way that told the blonde that that wasn't an option, though Emma had her back turned while she tied her hair up ready for bed, using the mirror on the wall across from the bed Regina was lying in. "It's your parents' anniversary tomorrow. We are  _not_  getting up after them. Besides, I thought it would be nice if we made them breakfast in bed."

Emma made a 'pfft' sound. "You really think that I can cook breakfast?"

"No," Regina admitted. "But I'll be there, too, and I can."

Emma rolled her eyes and turned back to Regina, but said, "You do what you gotta do."

Regina smiled triumphantly and set the alarm for seven, then leaned back on her pillow and watched Emma potter around for a while. "Have you got your parents a gift?"

"I have," Emma confirmed. "And, don't worry, I'll say it's from the both of us."

"Thank you."

"It feels weird, doesn't it?" Emma said thoughtfully. "Getting ready for bed together, planning on cooking breakfast together, giving joint gifts. It's all very domestic."

"Hmm," Regina agreed.

"I kinda like it," Emma admitted. "Having someone who I can halve my responsibilities with, and also someone to share blame with if I mess up."

Regina quirked an eyebrow. "Good to know that I'm finally useful for something."

Emma laughed and made her way over to the light switch, so Regina turned to the bedside lamp and flicked it on. That way, when Emma turned the light off, she wouldn't trip over anything or stub her toe on anything on her way back to her bed, as she had done multiple times already.

Emma turned off the light, then walked over to her pile of sheets on the floor, about to settle down for the night.

But she paused when Regina said, "You know, you don't have to sleep down there." Emma's eyes lifted to her, looking surprised, making Regina swallow nervously as her brain caught up with what she was proposing. "I mean... if you don't want to. I just thought... you saved my life today. The least I could do is let you have a comfortable bed to sleep in."

"So, you want to switch, or..." Emma hesitated. "You want me to get in the bed with you?"

"You could get in with me," Regina suggested, feeling suddenly shy. "The bed is big enough for the both of us, and it's not like it's a big deal or anything. It's just sharing a bed." When she finished, Emma continued to stare at her, making Regina backpedal. "You don't have to," She added hastily. "It was just a suggestion, but if you're not comfortable with it, then-"

"No!" Emma interrupted. "I am, I just... I am."

The blonde smiled at her, looking equally as shy, then walked around to the other side of the bed and climbed in. Regina watched Emma get settled, staying very still herself.

Emma made sure that she didn't touch Regina in any way, and laid on her back, staring at the ceiling. Once she'd stopped moving, she glanced at Regina and said, "OK?"

Regina didn't know if she was asking whether or not she was OK, or if she was signalling that she was ready for Regina to turn the lamp off. To cover all her bases, Regina nodded and then flicked the switch, casting the room into darkness.

She laid on her side, facing away from Emma but with her eyes open until Emma said, "Good night."

Regina repeated the words back to Emma and closed her eyes, though it was difficult for her to relax when she knew that there was someone else in the bed. The last time she'd shared a bed with someone... it would have been about a year ago, with a non-serious partner. Though every other time she'd shared a bed with someone, she had been laden with post-coital exhaustion. This was very different to that.

Regina laid tensely until she heard, and felt, Emma roll onto her side, so that she was facing away from Regina. Then, Regina tried to force herself to relax, only really succeeding when she focused on the sound of the blonde's deep breathing.

Once that was the only thing that she was paying attention to, she was asleep within minutes.


	16. Chapter 16

Emma woke up with her head resting on someone's chest, rising and falling with their steady breathing.

At first, she was too groggy to think twice about it, so she just pulled the person closer and thought, _this is nice_. But then the fog finally cleared and she realised with a start that it was  _Regina's_  chest that she was resting on, and her body slowly went tense. She immediately cringed to herself. God, why did her sleeping-self have to love cuddling so much?

Emma was latched onto her boss like a koala bear, her arm wrapped firmly around the brunette's waist and one of her legs thrown over Regina, while the other was tangled up with the other woman's.

Emma laid very still, afraid to move in case she woke the brunette. But the longer that she was awake, the more she became aware of certain things, like the fact that gentle fingers were drawing little circles on her arm, or that the person she was resting on yawned, signalling to her that Regina was already awake, after all.

And she hadn't pushed Emma away with derision. She had left her to sleep, even tracing little patterns on her skin.

Emma wondered why that was, seeing as, in all her time working for the other woman, she had never once imagined her as a cuddler. She seemed too... unemotional? Stony? Just someone who didn't seem to need to be held, or someone who wouldn't like affection all that much. One time, Regina had asked Emma to look at a spreadsheet on her computer, so Emma had stood behind the other woman and put her hand on her shoulder while she peered over. Regina had looked at Emma's hand with such disdain, her gaze practically burning through Emma's skin, until the blonde quickly withdrew it.

And now she was actually letting Emma cuddle her, without burning Emma alive. What on earth was going on?

There was only one way to find out.

Acting like she had just woken up, Emma took a deep breath and stretched her legs out, pretending to yawn. Then she lifted her head from Regina's chest and looked at the brunette like she was surprised by their position. She opened her mouth to say something, then paused to take in the sight before her.

Regina's hair was mussed from sleep, she wasn't wearing makeup, and she was smiling at Emma lazily, like she hadn't been awake very long herself. Emma was thrown off a little, shocked by the beauty of the other woman, but she forced herself to recover.

"I'm sorry, did I forget to tell you that I was a cuddly sleeper?"

Regina looked amused. "Yes, it must have slipped your mind."

"You could have just woken me up and told me to move," Emma hinted for the other woman to tell her why she hadn't.

Regina lifted a shoulder. "I thought you could use the beauty sleep."

Emma frowned at the comment, not sure whether or not she should be offended, and disentangled her body from Regina's so that she could lie on her own pillow. "Gee, thanks," She said sarcastically.

"No, I didn't mean-" Regina sighed while Emma collapsed back on her side of the bed, no longer cuddling the brunette. "I wasn't saying that you're ugly. I'm sorry if that's what I implied, but you know that I'm not good at this."

"At what? Talking to people?"

"Precisely."

Emma let out a little laugh and looked up at the ceiling. "That's true. You really aren't."

"The one thing that we can agree on is my lack of social skills? Wow."

Emma rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, then laid on her side so that she could look at Regina. "It's OK, I can give you some tips. Tip number one: you never tell a girl that she needs beauty sleep."

"Noted," Regina said, mirroring Emma's position so that they were facing each other. "I'll never say that again. Especially when that girl is already unbelievably beautiful."

Regina reached out and tucked some blonde hair behind Emma's ear, letting her hand linger there for a moment so that she could stroke Emma's cheek with her thumb. The way that the brunette was making it so clear that she was talking about Emma made the blonde's heart race, and Emma feared that Regina would actually be able to hear it hammering away in her chest. But Regina didn't show any indication that she could, not that that made Emma calm down at all.

Things were changing between her and Regina. Their usually frosty relationship was thawing so that, firstly they could act like friends, and now they could act like... whatever this was. Emma didn't really know. All she knew was that Regina was making her feel things that the brunette had never made her feel before, something that was an awful lot like what it felt like to  _like_  like someone. Emma had been questioning this, and had reached the conclusion that she may have developed an infatuation with her boss. Only, how on earth was she supposed to know if Regina felt the same?

Of course, yesterday Regina had kissed her, but that was just to get her to stop talking, right? And then she had let Emma sleep in her bed, but wasn't that just so that she didn't have to sleep on the floor? And then there was the fact that Regina had let Emma cuddle her, but was that just because she didn't have the heart to wake her? And now there was this, the calling her beautiful and stroking her cheek. Emma didn't have an explanation for that.

Regina had certainly been acting like she felt the same way as Emma, that was undeniable now. But, if she did, then why hadn't she just  _said_  something. Regina was brave and strong and always fought for what she wanted. If she wanted Emma, wouldn't she have tried to get her by now?

Emma wished that she had the courage to just come right out and ask the brunette, but, alas, she didn't. What she  _did_  have was a crippling fear of rejection which made putting herself out there near impossible.

Emma spent so long debating what Regina was feeling that the brunette eventually pulled her hand away from Emma's face and awkwardly cleared her throat. Without thinking, Emma reached out and grabbed Regina's hand, then entwined their fingers and rested their joined hands in the middle of the bed. Regina smiled at her, clearly grateful for the gesture after Emma hadn't responded to her compliment, and ran her thumb over the top of Emma's hand.

Emma thought that she had waited too long to reply to the whole 'you're unbelievably beautiful thing', so she instead said the first thing that popped into her mind, which happened to be, "We're getting married tomorrow."

"We are," Regina nodded.

"It still feels weird to say that."

"It does."

"Are you excited?"

"Are you?"

Emma pulled a face. "I asked you first."

"But it's an unfair question," Regina argued. "What am I supposed to say to that?"

"Whether or not you're excited would be a good start."

Regina sighed and looked to the side while she thought. "I'm excited to not have to pretend to date you anymore."

Emma's heart sank as she pulled her hand away from Regina's and rolled onto her back. That certainly didn't sound like she felt the same as Emma. "Are you purposely trying to offend me today, or is this just another example of how terrible you are at communicating with people?"

"The latter," Regina assured her, sounding annoyed at herself. "I didn't mean that pretending to date  _you_  was bad. In fact, if I had to pick anyone in this world to pretend to date, I'd pick you... or Jennifer Aniston, because, you know, she's stunning." Emma rolled her eyes but turned back to Regina with an amused smile. "It's the  _pretending_  part that I hate. The constantly having to act and worrying that people are going to know we're not a real couple. I don't like  _pretending_  to be your girlfriend, Emma."

Emma came so close to replying with, 'we don't have to pretend', but the alarm clock chose that moment to begin beeping loudly, signalling that it was 7 o'clock and time for them to get up. Regina visibly jumped at the sound and turned over to turn it off while Emma rolled onto her back, frustrated. She had been about to make her move and now the moment was ruined. Who knew when she'd be able to pluck up the courage to do that again? She covered her eyes with her arm and sighed as the beeping ceased.

"We better get ready if we want to make your parents' breakfast, then," Regina said as she sat up.

"Mmhmm."

"Are you OK?"

"Fine."

Regina sighed and got out of bed. "You really aren't a morning person, are you?" She asked, clearly thinking that Emma was moody because it was time for them to get out of bed. "Though I'm sure that you can make an exception for your parents' anniversary."

"Hmm," Emma agreed noncommittally.

Out of nowhere, Regina pulled on the end of the sheets so that they uncovered Emma, making her jump in surprise as the cool air hit her skin. She moved her arms and opened her eyes to look at Regina, who was smiling at her deviously, "Wakey wakey."

* * *

Emma sat at the breakfast bar, head resting on her hands and eyes half-closed (she should  _not_  have been up at this ungodly hour), while Regina opened cupboard after cupboard.

"What do your parents even  _like_  to eat?" Regina asked. "Honestly, Emma, I can't do this myself. I might end up making something that your mom or dad is seriously allergic to and, after the whole kiwi-incident, what would August say? He'd think I'm plotting the demise of the whole Nolan-Swan-Booth family."

Emma glared at Regina, but the brunette had her back turned so didn't see it. Still, she answered civilly. "My dad isn't allergic to anything. My mom is allergic to apples."

"Apples?" Regina echoed, turning to Emma with a look of concern. "Well, I suppose my famous cinnamon apple pancakes are out the window."

"Does is really matter what you make?" Emma asked tiredly. "What happened to 'it's the thought that counts'? They'll like anything that you make because of the sentiment behind it, so just throw something together. And make me some cinnamon apple pancakes while you're at it because those sound good."

It was Regina who glared this time, so Emma offered her a wink and a cheeky smile.

"How do they feel about omelettes?" Regina asked, ignoring the blonde.

"Love 'em."

"Do they really, or are you just saying that so you can take a nap?"

"Would I do such a thing?" Emma asked, feigning offence. When Regina gave her a look that said 'you absolutely would', Emma rolled her eyes playfully. "Whatever. But yes, they like omelettes."

"And they're not allergic to tomato or basil?"

"No."

"Wonderful. Though I was hoping I'd be able to make something that better shows off my culinary skill, I  _do_  make a mean omelette."

Regina opened the fridge and took out a carton of eggs and some tomatoes, then put them on the counter and looked to Emma expectantly. "Come on, you're helping."

Emma rolled her eyes again, less jokingly this time, but stood and walked to Regina's side of the counter.

"You can crack the eggs," Regina instructed. "Into this bowl," She put a bowl in front of Emma, "While I chop the tomatoes."

Regina turned and grabbed a chopping board and knife, then got to work on her own task, leaving Emma to her own devices. Emma, inexperienced when it came to cooking, picked up an egg and looked at it warily. She'd seen eggs being cracked hundreds of times before, had cracked a few herself by throwing them at people in high school, but had never actually cracked an egg for cooking purposes on her own. In her defence, she practically lived off ready meals and takeout, so eggs weren't exactly a staple in her diet. Besides, she preferred them hard-boiled.

Emma moved the bowl closer to herself, then tapped the egg gently against the side of it. After she'd done that about ten times, to no avail, she heard Regina say, "You might want to do it a bit harder."

The amusement in her voice didn't go unnoticed by Emma, who scowled in response, feeling judged. She did as she was told, though, and hit the egg harder against the edge of the bowl... a bit too hard. The egg cracked completely in half, then the shell broke in Emma's hand, causing raw egg to spill half in the bowl and half all over the counter.

Emma closed her eyes and let out a breath of frustration and, when she opened them again, Regina was looking at her as if to say, 'are you kidding me?' "How can you mess up cracking an egg?" the brunette asked tiredly.

"I'm not a five star chef!" Emma said defensively.

"It's  _cracking an egg_!" Regina shook her head and abandoned the tomato that she was chopping so that she could push Emma out of the way and grab some towels. "I'll deal with the eggs," she said authoritatively. "You chop the tomatoes."

Emma pulled a face when Regina's back was turned, but did as she was told. She picked up the knife and began chopping the tomatoes, ignoring Regina while the brunette cleaned up the mess that Emma had made and easily cracked the eggs into the bowl. After cracking the eggs with practised ease, Regina turned to give Emma a smug look. Emma scowled at her in response, hating it when Regina acted like she was better than-

Emma's eyes widened when she felt a sharp pain on her index finger. It felt an awful lot like... but she hadn't just... had she?

Emma held her breath while she looked down and, OK, yes, she had just sliced her finger with the knife instead of the tomato. Blood was already trickling down her finger and dripping onto the chopping board, so red and-

"I think I'm going to be sick," Emma stated, holding her finger away from herself and averting her gaze to anywhere but her injured appendage. Regina frowned and looked at Emma's finger to see what the big deal was, her own eyes widening when she saw the slice.

"Emma!" She grabbed Emma's wrist and pulled her to the sink. "I've never known anyone be as bad as you in the kitchen," She said in disbelief as she turned the tap on and shoved Emma's hand beneath it.

"Ow!" Emma exclaimed, pulling her hand away from Regina and the water. "Stop that. I'm fine."

"You're injured," Regina stated, grabbing Emma by the wrist again but not yet moving to put it back under the stream of water. "And bleeding. You don't want this to get infected, so you need to wash it. Don't be such a child."

Emma jutted her bottom lip out in a rather childlike way and looked back to her finger, which was still bleeding. It wasn't a deep cut, not like she was going to lose a finger or even need stitches, but Emma wasn't good with blood. She looked up at the ceiling and swayed a little. "I feel woozy."

"Hey," Regina grabbed Emma's chin gently and tilted her head down so that she was looking at her. "Then don't look at it. Look at me and let me make it better."

Emma swallowed. The softness in Regina's eyes and the way that she commanded Emma's trust made the blonde nod her head, giving Regina permission to take control. The brunette gently pulled Emma's wrist back to the sink and held her finger under the water, not flinching even when Emma hissed in pain.

They stayed like that in silence for a couple of minutes, with Regina inspecting the wound while she held it under the tap and Emma making sure not to look anywhere near it. However, the comfortable silence was soon broken by Regina.

"You're an idiot, you know that? You could have seriously hurt yourself. Knives are sharp, Emma, which means that you handle them with care. Don't think I don't know why this happened. You weren't even looking at what you were doing; you were looking at me instead, and not paying any attention to what you were doing with that knife. Well, now look what's happened to you: you've hurt yourself, and I hate to say it but I think you asked for it. You need to be more careful."

Emma pouted and shrank a little at being chastised. "I'm not a child, Regina."

"Well, you could have fooled me." Regina turned to look at Emma and shook her head in disappointment.

"Why are you nice to me one minute and mean to me the next?" Emma mumbled.

"I was nice to you because you didn't like looking at the cut and I wanted to reassure you, and I not being mean to you. I'm being stern because you've just hurt yourself in a way that could have been prevented and I don't want you to do it again."

"Whatever,  _mom_ ," Emma said with an eye roll.

Regina lifted an eyebrow at Emma's cheek, but patiently replied, "Speaking of mothers, where does yours keep the first aid kit?"

Emma wordlessly pointed to a cupboard, and Regina wordlessly went and opened it. She was back a moment later, first aid kit in hand, and began rifling through it while she looked for something. Once she'd taken a few things out, she closed the box and turned back to Emma, taking the blonde's wrist and removing it from under the flow of water.

"I don't think it's bleeding much anymore," she said, "And it isn't that bad."

Emma looked down at her finger to see for herself, but instantly looked away again, her eyes settling on Regina's face. The brunette was right: it wasn't that bad, but Emma still couldn't face it without feeling nauseous. Regina seemed to understand, offering Emma a comforting smile and stroking her wrist with her thumb. "I didn't think you'd be squeamish," She admitted.

"I never used to be," Emma informed her with a shrug. "Then I suddenly was. I don't know why, but I wish I wasn't. It's embarrassing." She let out an embarrassed laugh as if to prove her point.

"It's not embarrassing," Regina assured her, grabbing some tissue and drying Emma's hand. "Plenty of people hate blood. Besides, I may just disclose this fact about you when I'm in the interview with Sydney at the immigration office."

Emma smiled and shook her head, watching while Regina reached onto the counter for a tube of something that she had just taken from the first-aid kit. "This is anti-bacterial ointment," Regina said, as though she knew that Emma was wondering. She squeezed some onto the tip of her finger, then moved to put it on Emma's cut, hesitating for a moment and saying, "This might sting a little."

She gently and carefully put it on Emma's injury as though she were handling something incredibly fragile. She was clearly going out of her way to make sure she didn't hurt Emma, and it made the blonde smile that she would do that for her. A warm feeling filled her chest, which only grew when Regina looked back up at her with a smile.

"And now," The brunette announced excitedly. "The band-aid." She turned around and picked it off the counter, but kept it covered in her hand. "There were some regular band-aids in the box, but I thought you might appreciate these more." She revealed the band-aid that she had chosen, which was white with little yellow ducks on it.

A smile tugged at Emma's lips as she said, "Ducks?"

"Duck _lings,_ " Regina corrected, taking the sticky back off the band-aid. "And you know what happens when ducklings grow up?" She paused while she put the band-aid on Emma's finger, still being as gentle as a breeze, then looked up at her with a smile. "They grow into beautiful swans."

Emma's heart rate increased significantly as the warm feeling in her chest only grew. It sounded an awful lot like Regina was calling her beautiful again, which actually made her blush, but she didn't want Regina to notice, so she said, "Actually, baby swans are called cygnets, not ducklings, though it's a common misconception."

Regina rolled her eyes, but it was accompanied with a fond smile. "Shut up, Miss Swan." She was still holding Emma's wrist, so she lifted it higher so that Emma could see her own finger and said, "All better."

Emma frowned and shook her head. "You haven't even kissed it better."

Regina raised an eyebrow in challenge, though she swallowed as if the statement made her nervous. "Well, we'd better fix that then, hm?"

She held Emma's gaze as she lifted Emma's finger higher and softly pressed her lips to it, light as a feather. Emma didn't know that someone kissing her finger could have this much of an effect on her, but suddenly her heart was racing and the skin on her finger was tingling (which could have been because of the cut or the anti-bacterial ointment, but still) and her mouth was dry.

Regina lowered their hands again, and it was only then that Emma noticed that Regina had taken her other hand, too, so they were facing each other with both hands loosely entwined. When had she done that and how hadn't Emma realised? Well, she'd realised now, but she barely paid any attention to it because the only thing she could focus on was how much she wanted to kiss Regina. The brunette was looking up at her as though she were waiting for her to do something, the room was heavy with tension; it was as though the only thing left for them to do was kiss. The only natural direction that this could go in was for them to kiss.

Who was Emma to argue with that?

She pulled Regina closer to her, let go of her hands so that she could grab the brunette's face instead, and pressed their lips together. It wasn't gentle and soft; it was firm and purposeful, as though Emma was trying to make Regina see that  _this_  is what she wanted and she was sure of it. Any fear of rejection dissipated when she felt Regina inhale sharply and then kiss her back, resting her hands on Emma's hips and pulling her so that their bodies were touching.

As Emma kissed Regina again, she realised how right this felt. Pretending to be engaged to Regina didn't feel right, but this did: kissing her for real, with no one around to see, and not just a soft grazing of the lips, but a full-on kiss that she had wanted to do so much.

But Emma didn't let the kiss deepen, not wanting to move any further until she knew what Regina was thinking and how she was feeling. She separated their lips, but rested her forehead against Regina's so that there wasn't much distance between them. She didn't want Regina to be too far away from her right now; not when all she could see and smell and breath was Regina.

Emma was eager to know what her boss was going to say, but as soon as the brunette opened her mouth, footsteps sounded on the stairs and she closed it again. She didn't move away from Emma until the footsteps led to the kitchen and someone appeared in the doorway, then, as much as Emma didn't want her to, Regina stepped back.

Emma let out a long breath and turned to see who had disturbed them. It was August, and he was looking around the room with wide eyes; from the abandoned tomatoes, to the odd drops of blood on the counter, to the first-aid kit, to Emma and Regina, who he must have seen standing so close together.

"What's going on in here?" he asked, clearly confused and a little concerned.

"We're making breakfast," Emma said innocently. She tried to sound upbeat, but it was hard to hide her disappointment that she and Regina had been interrupted.

"Yeah... looks like you're doing a great job." He was being insincere, but not unkind.

"You know what I'm like in the kitchen," Emma said self deprecatingly.

August just nodded his head as though he knew it all to well. Then, there were more footsteps on the stairs and David and Mary Margaret entered the kitchen a moment later, having a similar reaction to the one that August had had. They looked shocked and concerned at the sight before them, taking in the mess of the kitchen, and then the two women standing uncomfortably by the counter.

Mary Margaret reacted first, stepping forward and demanding, "Who's hurt themselves?" Emma held up her finger, showing the band-aid. Her mother instantly rushed forward, saying, "my baby!" as though Emma had lost a finger.

While Emma was enveloped into a hug by her mom, she noticed Regina stepping further away and felt frustrated that her family had chosen _the worst_  moment to come downstairs.

* * *

"Anyway, happy anniversary, guys." Emma said once everything had settled down.

Regina and Mary Margaret had cleaned up the mess in the kitchen, then Regina had made omelettes (by herself - she refused to let Emma anywhere near the kitchen while she was cooking), and finally the whole family was sitting in the living room, Mary Margaret and David on the couch, August in one armchair and Regina in the other. Emma had only just entered the room, her parents' present in hand.

"Thank you, Emma. We'll be saying that to you two in a year's time," Mary Margaret said excitedly, looking between Emma and Regina.

"Yeah..." Emma agreed. "Um... your present." She handed it to David, but he passed the wrapped gift to his wife, knowing she would prefer to open it.

And she did. She wasted no time in ripping the paper off in record speed, tossing it over her shoulder without caring where it landed. Emma saw Regina follow it with her eyes, as though someone making unnecessary mess actually pained her, but the brunette stayed in the armchair instead of picking it up, with noticeable effort.

"Oh, Emma," Mary Margaret's voice pulled Emma's attention back to them.

She was staring at Emma's gift lovingly. It was a picture frame, holding a picture of Mary Margaret and David from a few weeks ago at some town event that Emma hadn't been able to go to because Regina had made her work. The blonde had had to contact the people of Storybrooke, asking for recent pictures of her parents, and had finally settled on one of them all dressed up, her dad in suit and her mom in a beautiful dress, standing outside the cabin. The thing Emma loved most about the picture was, even though they were standing facing the camera as though they knew the picture was being taken, one of them must have just said something sickeningly sweet because they were looking at each other with love-filled eyes.

Emma had seen the picture and instantly smiled, knowing it would be perfect in the pearl photo frame, engraved at the bottom with the words 'Happy 30th Anniversary Mom and Dad'. She already knew where the frame would go, too: on the wall next to the picture of her parents on their wedding day. It was the perfect gift and, from the her parents' reaction, they thought so too.

"This is stunning, Em. Thank you so much," David said, touched.

They waved her over, so she went to the couch and leaned between them, wrapping one arm around each of them and letting them both kiss her cheek. As she was standing back up she said, "Regina helped me pick it out." It was a lie, but it fit perfectly into their charade.

So, her parents directed their grateful looks to Regina and waved her over, too. The brunette glanced at Emma, uncomfortable with the treatment, but she rose from the armchair and went over to Emma's parents. She let them hug and kiss her as they had Emma, and accepted their thanks awkwardly.

Emma watched with a smile, walking to the armchair that Regina had just vacated and taking a seat in it herself. When Regina turned to sit back down, she glared at Emma for stealing her chair, but the blonde just patted her lap to encourage Regina to sit in it instead. Regina lifted an eyebrow, not moving, so Emma did it again.

This made Regina roll her eyes, but she walked over and sat gingerly on Emma's knees, at an angle so that she was facing Emma's parents. She draped her arm across Emma's shoulders while Emma wrapped her arms around Regina's waist and smiled up at her. Regina looked down at Emma, looking displeased at first, but something about Emma's face made her smile in spite of herself and kiss the top of Emma's head.

Emma didn't know whether the kiss was for the charade or not, but something inside her (maybe wishful thinking) said it wasn't.

"I got you something, too," August said, making Regina and Emma turn again, and Emma noticed her brother was staring at her and her fiancée with an unreadable expression, even though he was talking to Mary Margaret and David.

He handed his gift over, and Mary Margaret opened it just as quickly as she had Emma's. He had got them a couple of whiskey tumblers, engraved with the words 'Happy 30th Wedding Anniversary Mom and Dad'. Again, the couple were thrilled with the gift and opened their arms for August to hug and kiss them both.

After that was done, Mary Margaret and David stood up. "Well, we should get ready," David said, as they were still in their pyjamas. "We have a busy day ahead; we need to get the house ready for the anniversary party later."

"And I still need to do some last-minute wedding planning for tomorrow," Mary Margaret added with an excited smile.

"We'll see you later," David nodded to them, taking Mary Margaret's hand and leading her up the stairs.

August was still in the armchair across from Emma and Regina, but they ignored him and turned to each other. Regina, still on Emma's lap, began to gently trace a circle on the back of Emma's neck, which felt so good that Emma knew that, if she were a cat, she would have been freaking  _purring_.

"We're getting married tomorrow," Regina said, as though it were new information. "You're not getting cold feet, are you?"

Emma thought about it, and surprised herself with the answer. "No, actually. Are you?" Regina shook her head with a little smile on her lips. Emma put her hand on Regina's thigh and looked at that while she said, "You make this whole thing seem like it's not a big deal. Most people would be freaking out about getting married, but you're just..." She shrugged.

"I'm marrying  _you_ , Emma. Most people are probably worried that they're making a mistake, that they've picked the wrong person, but  _I've_  picked  _you_."

"And I'm  _not_  a mistake? I'm  _not_  the wrong person?" Emma asked quietly.

She didn't even know why she was asking it. August was still in the room, which meant Regina couldn't exactly say anything other than what she did say. "Of course you're not. Choosing you is the best decision I've ever made." Regina leaned down and gave Emma a chaste kiss to accentuate her point.

Emma smiled at the brunette, but it didn't quite reach her eyes, then stared off into the middle distance. Her heart was sinking because this was so  _fake_. Regina didn't feel that way, didn't even  _choose_  her; she was just stuck with her because Emma was the only way that she wouldn't get deported. But Emma had realised that she wanted Regina to feel that way - she wanted Regina to have chosen her.

She was setting herself up for disappointment and heartbreak, but didn't know how to stop it.

* * *

It wasn't long before Regina said that she was going to the bathroom and climbed out of Emma's lap. As soon as she was gone, August was out of his seat and on the couch cushion closest to Emma, leaning towards her. She looked at her brother like he was crazy, his urgency making her uncomfortable, but he didn't seem to notice.

"I'm sorry, OK?" he said, rolling his eyes. "I never should have said that stuff about Regina not loving you. You're right: I don't know anything about the two of you or your relationship, so I was out of line to say that you should cancel the wedding."

"Ok..." Emma looked to the side, confusion all over her face. August had just apologised? "But where is this coming from? What made you change your mind?"

August leaned back on the couch. "Have you seen how she looks at you?"

"I thought you said she looks at me like she doesn't feel anything," Emma said grumpily, tucking her legs underneath herself.

"She did," August admits. "But now... I don't know. She's changed. Maybe you're right and she was just uncomfortable when you first arrived, so didn't like showing affection around people. But she's different now. Like, just then, she was looking at you with a look that was so familiar to me. I couldn't figure out where I'd seen it until I saw the picture that you'd given mom and dad, that's when I realised that it's the way  _they_  look at each other. That disgusting, mushy look that makes me want to gag."

"Love?"

"Hmm," August nodded and lifted a shoulder. "I'm no expert, but that's what it looked like. Now, you know me, I'm usually too stubborn to admit that I'm wrong, but, Em, you're my sister. I can't go another day not speaking to you when you're going to be going back to New York in a couple of days. I need to make the most of you while you're here, so, I'm sorry for what I said."

"It's fine," Emma shrugged, too busy thinking about what August had just said to worry about what he had said the other day. "But, you really think Regina loves me now?" She asked to clarify, her heart beating too hard and too fast.

"I really do. Though, as I said, I'm no expert."

Emma looked away again in shock. She wasn't sure that Regina  _loved_  her, but it made her think that she might feel the same way the Emma did, and she urgently wanted to find out for sure.

She felt like one of those girls today, who plucked petals off flowers -  _he loves me; he loves me not._ But Emma's version was:  _do I tell Regina how I feel? Or do I not?_ Well, Emma had just reached the last petal of her imaginary flower and decided, _I tell her._

"I need to speak to Regina," Emma said, standing up. "About the wedding." She added hastily upon receiving a strange look from August.

"OK," he said with a shrug. "I need to get ready, anyway." He looked down at his sweat pants and old t-shirt, then made for the stairs.

Once he was gone, Emma rushed into the hall, where she ran into Regina. The brunette seemed startled at being ambushed on her way out of the downstairs bathroom, but it quickly turned puzzled when she noticed Emma looking nervous and shifty.

"Everything OK?" Regina asked, taking a step towards Emma.

"There's something I need to speak to you about," Emma stated, knowing she needed to say this quickly, before she changed her mind.

Regina suddenly seemed concerned. "Should I be worried?"

Emma shook her head and tried to find the right words. "You know how we've been spending a lot of time together over the last few days?" she asked, receiving a nod from Regina. "Well, it's really changed how I think about you, because now I know that I didn't really know you before this week. I just thought of you as my bitchy boss who hated me and whose main goal was to make my life a living hell."

Regina didn't look pleased about hearing this and opened her mouth to speak, but Emma held up her hand, trying to assure her that this was going somewhere. "But this week, I feel like you've shown me who you truly are. You've been yourself, at least, I think you have, and you've shown me that you can be funny and  _kind_ and considerate. It's really opened my eyes and I don't  _feel_  the same way about you anymore. We've been pretending to be engaged, but I don't want to do this anymore. Regina, I-"

Emma was cut off by someone knocking on the door, and both women turned to it. This was the third time today that Emma had been prevented from telling Regina how she felt, and she was getting sick of it now. Through the glass, Emma could see a spark of red hair, which meant nothing to her, but made Regina clench her jaw and shake her head.

"You have  _got_  to be kidding me," Regina said through gritted teeth.

She walked to the door and pulled it open forcefully, angrily, making Emma frown in confusion. Did Regina know this woman? Because Emma certainly didn't. She could now clearly see that it was a woman at the door, with bright red, curly hair. She was wearing a green top with a black pencil skirt and heels, and she was smirking in a way that was oddly familiar to Emma. It reminded her of-

"Zelena, what the hell are you doing here?" Regina hissed.

Emma stepped forward to join Regina at the door, but the redhead - Zelena - didn't even look at her.

"Come on, Gina. You didn't think I was going to miss my own sister's wedding, did you?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, we've finally caught up with where I'm up to over on FF.net, so I'm sorry but updates will be a little slower from now on. I've written half of the next chapter, so I should have it posted by the end of the week. However, please keep in mind that I have just started university, so I'm either going to have the next chapter up really quickly or really slowly. I hope it's the former.  
> Anyway, thanks for reading :)


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